


The Tale of White and Black

by WhiteCatInDisguise



Series: The Tales of White and Black [1]
Category: Wakfu
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-04-22 10:25:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 41,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14306682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteCatInDisguise/pseuds/WhiteCatInDisguise
Summary: An unexpected visitor in the middle of the night is never a good sign. Joris was aware of that, and still, he let the mysterious guest in, thinking he's got everything under control. What he didn't anticipate, was how this nightly visit would turn his world upside down, threatening the city of Bonta, and the lives of the people he cares about.Alys (OC) belongs to WishingStarInAJar.





	1. Nightly Visitor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WishingStarInAJar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingStarInAJar/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Blank Canvas](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10674549) by [WishingStarInAJar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingStarInAJar/pseuds/WishingStarInAJar). 



> UPDATE: I've changed chapters 17-20 (Master Dormu is blind, as he's supposed to now ^^). Only minor changes there but I recommend reading them, at least ch.17, which has the most changes)

Chapter 1: Nightly Visitor  
The moon slowly wandered on the night sky, finding itself at the highest spot. The blanket of stars hovered upon the sound-asleep city of Bonta, not a soul on the streets. The moonlight showered into the room, falling upon the laying figure, the steady rising of their chest suggesting a deep slumber. The room was sound, save for the quiet snoring of the small character. Suddenly, the figure’s eyes snapped open, wandering through the room in the search of whatever made them wake up. The gaze stopped at the door, a medium-sized eye open and staring at the person.  
“What is it, Luis?" the Bontarian master asked, his eyes hinting he wasn't happy about the sudden appearance of the Shushu's eye. Luis knew better than to wake up the small master unless it was truly important.  
“There is someone to see you” the Shushu simply stated, sounding a little tired. Master Joris rose a brow, turning around to look outside, taking a notice of the moon still high in the sky. It wasn’t the female Eliatrope, that one he was sure about, as Luis would have said so.  
“At this hour?" he said more to himself than to the Shushu. The eye made a movement of shrugging at the response. The master debated for a moment, whether he should attend to the visitor, or ask him to come in the morning. Although, thinking about how late it was, the matter must have been important. He sighed, letting go of the remnants of sleep before he stood up and descended the ladder from his bed to the floor.  
“Very well” he nodded, taking his fur mantle and hooded tunic from the hanger, putting them on in a swift, but not hasted manner. “I’ll attend to the matter, let him in”  
“A please would be nice" the eye mumbled before disappearing, a quiet screech of the front door revealing he abided to the order nevertheless. Master Joris closed a door to his room behind him and started walking towards the staircase. He descended to the landing and stopped there, taking his time to observe the unexpected visitor. The person was wearing a long black cape, with the hood pulled far over the face. From under the cape, he could see dark high-heeled shoes and a strand of red locks, which the figure pushed back inside its hood. A woman, then, he nodded to himself, making a mental note of his observations. He quietly moved down the stairs and towards the guest’s turned back.  
“I assume the matter at hand must be important if you search me up at this hour," he said, putting his hands behind his back. The woman turned around quickly, startled by the voice sounding from behind, staring right into the small master's eyes hidden beneath the blue hood. She took a step back in shock, before taking a moment to calm herself down.  
“Master Joris Jurgen, I presume," she asked, although the answer was obvious. It was hard not to recognize the famed Bontarian master, his fame inversely proportional to his high. A small nod was the confirmation of her question before he spoke up.  
“It is hardly fair, for you to know my name, while I don’t know yours” a polite but demanding question about the woman’s identity met with a small smile from under the black hood. She reached out to it, putting it down to reveal her hidden face. Long red locks fell seemingly haphazardly from her head, although there might be a certain pattern to the woman’s hairstyle. Her round green eyes stared at the small master from behind a black mask, revealing her as one of the Rogues.  
“My name is Dalila, and I'm in search for specific objects, which I've heard are in your possession" she explained shortly.  
Joris’ eyes narrowed at the remark, not liking where the conversation was going. Not many things in this Shushu-possessed house were his own, most of them belonging to Kerubim and his shop activities. His thoughts wandered to the brown-coloured Dofus hidden in the depths of the haven bag in his basement. It couldn’t be what the woman, Dalila meant, as only Alys and his sons knew it was there. And the woman mentioned objects, which meant she was searching for more than one thing.  
“I don’t quite understand what you mean” he answered cautiously, mentally reviewing the list of objects he possessed, wondering what the woman was interested in. Whatever it was, he had to make sure she won’t get it.  
“The Dofus, of course," Dalila replied nonchalantly, her fingers playing with a lock of her hair. "The two of Primordial Dofus, to be exact. I know you have them, Joris Jurgen" her voice drastically changed, as she spat out the Bontarian master's name.  
“I don't know where did you learn of them, but I'm afraid you'll have to leave bare-handed," he said stoically, his fists clenching behind his back. No matter the use the woman had in mind for the Dofus, he couldn't let her get her hands on the items.  
Dalila chuckled at the master’s response, her eyes piercing through his small figure.  
“I’m afraid I can’t do that” she admitted, her hands swiftly drawing a pistol from under her cape and aiming it at the one in front of her and pulling the trigger.  
He quickly dodged the shot, moving to the side and looking at the woman from the darkness of his hood. He peeked at the spot the bullet hit, seeing a medium-sized burned hole in the floorboards. His eyes narrowed at the sight, but he quickly got his attention back at the woman, as she fired few more times, which he had to dodge.  
“What's all that ruckus? Can't you tend to your matters in silence? I'm trying to sleep!" the angry voice and an open eye over one of the doors in the room signalled Luis noticed the commotion in the shop. His gaze wandered between Joris and the Rogue woman after it stopped at the few burned holes in the floor and walls.  
“Not now, Luis” the master replied, moving fast to avoid being hit, although it wasn’t easy in such a cramped space. He would do better outside, but he decided against it, not to cause a commotion in the city.  
He suddenly stopped in his movement and fell down, when one of the boards gave in to the many holes it bore, taking the small master to the basement, hitting some of the shelves on his way. He gathered up quickly, just in time to dodge the aerial attack from the Rogue, when she dived right after him. Gathering his speed, he moved away, hiding before one of the shelves. He looked around, to find in which part of the basement he'd found himself, before silently growling. The Dofus the woman was searching for were not far away. He'd have to lure her away from them, as swiftly as possible. Using the darkness of the shelf's shadow, he cautiously peeked at the long corridor, from where the woman should approach. He tensed when he didn't see her, all his senses set on finding the unwelcome visitor. It was all quiet around him, making the atmosphere more nervous than it already was. His ears picked up a silent sound, someone moving around, but it seemed like it came from the upstairs. His eyes narrowed even more when he heard his name being called, his sons obviously being woken up by the fight in the shop. His eyes darted to the basement door, standing wide open.  
“Luis, close the door" he called, not caring about the Rogue hearing him. His son's safety was more important than him giving out his position. An eye opened above the door, looking at the small master in confusion.  
“Did you forget about-” he asked, but was cut out by the master’s desperate tone.  
“They can’t get down here! Not now!” he called, his eyes wide in horror, as he imagined his son’s being caught up in the fight. If he struggled with the Rogue woman, his son’s wouldn’t stand a chance. And he didn’t want to lose them yet again.  
Picking up the desperation in the small master’s voice, Shushu obediently closed shut the door, staring at him expectantly. Another sound, this time from the other side of the basement, caught Joris’ attention. It was where he’d hidden the Dofus.  
“Whatever you do, I forbid you to open that door!" he called before gaining his speed and rushing towards the source of the sound, not paying attention to the eye's grumbling. He arrived at the spot, and gritted his teeth in annoyance, seeing the chest hiding the precious items wide open and empty. He started scanning the surrounding, when he suddenly felt a hit on his side, making him lose his balance. He tried moving not to let himself fall, but his body seemed to refuse his order. He landed on the ground, not being able to move a muscle, his eyes set on the shadowy figure in front of him. The red-haired Rogue stepped closer, a bag with two Dofus hanging loosely over her shoulder.  
“Didn’t expect that, did you?” she asked with a smirk, crouching down next to the fallen master. “I guess even the famed Master of Bonta isn’t resistant to my Paralysis Touch”  
He tried to move his hands, legs, mouth, do anything apart from staring at the woman, but to no avail. It was first time in many centuries he felt so weak and vulnerable. He would grit his teeth in anger if he could. Instead, he just lay there, on the woman's mercy.  
“Okay, enough play time" Dalila's voice took him back from his thoughts to the reality. She reached into her bag and fished out a small pouch. She tossed out some of its content onto her other hand, creating a small pile of purple-sparkling dust. "Now, be a good boy and go to sleep," she said before blowing the dust right into the small master's face. The dust worked immediately, making his eyes heavy, before they closed completely, taking the paralysed master into a deep slumber.  
Dalila smiled widely at the fast reaction to the sleeping dust, before standing up and putting the small pouch back inside the bag. She shot a glance at the door to the basement but seeing it closed and the eye gone, she grinned even more. Her hand reached down to pick up the unconscious master by his tunic, before tucking him under her arm. She took out a small vial from the inside of her bag, drank out its content, and in a matter of seconds, disappeared from the basement, taking the two stolen Dofus and the small master with her.


	2. Worry

Rays of sun shone through the white clouds on the blue sky, announcing a good weather for the day. A woman in blue moved through the streets, having a hard time containing her excitement and trying not to skip. The day was beautiful, and neither she nor the one she was going to had any work to do that day, so she decided to pay him a visit, and maybe manage to take him out somewhere. She was sure he needed it, as the last few weeks were hard on him, from what she noticed. He was, as always, not letting it show, but she learned to read from the small gestures and the tone of his voice to know how he was feeling. She hummed happily, as the familiar green building rose in a distance. She ascended few steps to the front door and looked above it to see, whether Luis was there, but the eye socket was empty. She shrugged and knocked a few times at the door, putting her hands behind her back and balancing on her toes. Her hidden wings fell, as nobody opened the door, not even the Shushu coming to see who was at the door. Were they out? She didn't remember Joris mentioning anything as such when they talked yesterday.   
She rose a hand to knock again when she heard aroused voices coming from the shop. Curiosity taking over, she gently pushed the door and let herself in, looking at the empty space. She heard the voices again, so she decided to follow them to see, what has happened. She wasn't sure it was right to enter the house without its inhabitants' knowledge and approval, but she was sure they won't mind. She was a frequent guest in the bazaar anyway. She moved through the long corridor leading to the shop's basement, when, once again, she heard loud voices from the front.   
“You lousy Shushu, open that door this instant!” the white-furred Ecaflip shouted, pointing his finger at the closed door.   
“Not a chance” came the reply from the eye stuck over the door. “I’ve got orders”   
“Oh, so you’re taking orders now?” the Ecaflip was heavily annoyed by the response. “I thought great Luis doesn’t take orders”  
“I had my reasons," Luis said, not liking the tone of saying his name.  
“Let it go, Kerubim” a fur-less Ecaflip next to him put a paw on his brother’s shoulder.   
“Mister Crepin? Atcham? What’s going on?” a sudden sound of female voice made both Ecaflips turn around, noticing the Eliatrope standing a little further away.   
“Alys” the two Ecaflip exclaimed in unison, surprised at the sight of the female Eliatrope.  
“Oh, great. Three is a crowd” the eye rolled in annoyance, taking a notice of another person in the corridor. “Can’t you all just scam and do whatever you do somewhere else?”  
“We’re trying to get Luis open the door, as he for some reason refuses to do so” explained Atcham, pointing at the basement door.   
“Why? You need something from there?” she asked confused. She was even more puzzled by the Shushu’s attitude, as it wasn’t often he acted like that. He was cranky and mean at times, but never refused to gain access to any part of the house for the two Ecaflip. Especially the basement, as it was essential for Kerubim’s bazaar.   
“Not really, but in the middle of the night we heard some alarming sounds” the fur-less Ecaflip replied.  
“A fight, Atcham. We heard a fight” Kerubim corrected.   
“A fight?!” Alys’ eyes grew wide, a worry for her lover overtaking her. “What about-?” she didn’t finish, as she suddenly created a portal and jumped right through it.  
“Yeah, why care about the door, when you can just avoid it" Shushu growled in annoyance before the door opened. "Fine, go in, for all I care"  
Kerubim and Atcham rushed in, joining the woman in the basement. The sight they arrived to was more than troubling. Fallen shelves, broken items…   
“It looks like someone fell from there..." Atcham pointed his finger at the ceiling. "...to here" his finger shifted to the pile of broken wood, which once was a part of shelves.   
“My treasures!” Kerubim cried, running towards the pile, tears falling from his eyes. “My precious treasures. Some of them were priceless!”  
Alys' gaze moved from the pile to the ceiling and back. She just couldn't comprehend it.   
“How come someone fell from the ceiling?" she wondered out loud, gripping her chin in thoughts.   
“Not from the ceiling, from the shop" Luis corrected from his spot over the door. "I couldn't look at the mess upstairs, so I cleaned it up"  
“The shop?!” Kerubim’s eyes grew wider, as he sprinted off to see if any of his possessions were hurt in the last night’s commotion.  
“What happened, Luis?" the female Eliatrope asked, turning to the Shushu, eyes filled with worry. The eye looked deep in thoughts for a moment, before it sighed and looked at the Ecaflip and Eliatrope. Kerubim joined them soon, after making sure everything in the shop was in order.   
“Fine, last night someone came to the shop, demanding to see the midget. He said he would take care of the matter, so I let them be and went back to sleep. I was woken up a few minutes later by loud sounds of firing a gun” there was a shocked gasp coming from Alys, as she covered her mouth, eyes wide with horror.   
“Did something happen to Papa?” Atcham asked, urging the Shushu to continue.  
“I don’t know why, but instead of talking, the midget and a female Rogue were at each others’ throats. She destroyed the floorboards with her blasted gun, creating a hole to here, making him fall. Oh, I regret I didn’t see that fall” Luis laughed a little at the memory.  
“Focus, Luis. What about the Rogue?” this time it was Kerubim who pushed the Shushu further.   
“Well, frankly, I don't know. The sounds have woken up you two, and apparently, daddy didn't want his little sons to get hurt, so he ordered me to close the door. Then I left to make sure you won't enter, so I didn't see anything else" the eye finished, taking a look around the basement. "But by the look of things, both of them are long gone"  
“So let me get this straight” Atcham took a breath before continuing. “Someone abducted Papa in the middle of the night, and you deprived him of the one way he could get help?”  
“Hey, don't look at me. It was his idea" Shushu said bluntly. "But from the little piece I saw, you would probably be more of a nuisance than the help. He would have to worry about fighting off the woman AND keeping safe you two"  
“What did you just say?!” Kerubim shouted angrily, raising his fist towards the eye.   
“Whatever. You don’t seem to need me anyway” Luis grunted and the eye socket closed, signalling he moved to the other part of the house.   
Alys looked around the basement, growing even more worried about the fate of Bontarian master than she was before Luis filled them in what happened last night. Or at least parts of it. What if he was hurt? Or worse? She shook her head, not to let the dark thoughts overcame her, but it was hard not to do so. All they knew was someone attacked him, gave him a hard time, and they both disappeared. But was it on the small master's cue or the mysterious female Rogue Luis spoke about? She felt her heart drop at the thought of anything happening to her lover, unconsciously grabbing for the blue trinket he presented her so many years ago. She jumped in surprise when she suddenly felt something on her shoulder, turning around to notice Kerubim standing close to her, his paw in the air as she shook it off in shock.   
“Don't worry, Alys, Papa is strong," he said soothingly, moving past her and further into the basement. "Let's see if we can find anything to shine a light on this mystery"   
They split up, Atcham deciding to search upstairs, Kerubim focusing on the pile of wood and various items, while Alys wandered further into the basement. She was walking through the never-ending aisles when a thought came to her. She quickly changed the direction she was going, her eyes darting around the dusted shelves. She finally found what she was looking for, a haven bag laying comfortably in the corner of the aisle. She visibly relaxed, seeing the bag still here, but decided to check, whether the content was still safe. She quickly entered the compound space, her shoulders and wings dropped with a relief, as she stared at the Umbra Dofus levitating in the centre. She moved closer and lightly caressed the egg, a small smile appearing on her face. At least you are safe, she thought. She swiftly turned around and left the bag, not wanting to linger while Master Joris’ fate was still unknown.   
Alys stepped out from the bag her Dofus was kept in and looked around to see where she should go next. Frankly, she had no idea what she was searching for, but she was desperate to gain any, even a little piece of information about the small master. While she looked around, her gaze stopped at the chest somewhat hidden behind the shelves. As she moved closer, she noticed the chest was open and empty. This was odd in itself, as so far every space of the basement was filled and cramped with various items collected by white-furred Ecaflip during his adventures many centuries and reincarnations ago. As if to add up to the sense of oddity, the lock on the chest looked as if it was shot through from a short distance. A theft. Whatever was in the chest before, was what the Rogue was searching for, she presumed.   
“I've found something!" Atcham's voice sounded from the distance. Female Eliatrope shot a last glance at the chest and walked back to join Kerubim and Atcham by the somewhat cleaned up pile the Ecaflip was working on. She arrived at the brothers leaning over something the fur-less Ecaflip was holding, brows furrowed in deep thoughts.   
“What did you find?" she asked joining the two and looking at the item in Atcham's hand. It appeared to be a small trinket, comparable in size to the one she had. It was curved with a symbol of a dragon eating its own tail, shaped like the symbol of infinity. She was sure she never saw a symbol like that, as it was eye-catching and rather easy to remember.   
“I've never seen a symbol like that" Kerubim spoke up, others shaking their hands, confirming they also never met with such symbol. "But I know where to look for it" he added, shooting a last glance at the pile, before ascending the stairs and leaving the basement, Atcham and Alys at his heels. He led them to the living room, where he approached the bookcase, his gaze glazing over the covers until he found what he was looking for. He moved the book to the table, Eliatrope and his Ecaflip brother following right behind him. "According to Papa, this book contains information about each and every symbol in the World of Twelve, be it existing or long forgotten," he said as he shuffled through the pages.   
“By the way, Master Crepin” Alys interrupted, her thoughts coming back to the empty chest she found. “I’ve found an empty chest at the back of the basement”  
“An empty chest? What did it look like?” the Ecaflip asked not stopping his search.   
“It was… purple with golden frame” she said bringing forth the image of the chest. “And it had a red-coloured padding inside”  
The shuffling of the pages stopped abruptly, both of the Ecaflips looking at the woman with wide open eyes.   
“Are you sure?” the question asked was filled with uncertainty and fear. She quietly nodded, looking at the reaction of the two.   
“So they were after the Dofus...” Atcham stated to which Kerubim nodded reluctantly. Her gaze wandered from one to another, not really grasping what they were talking about.   
“What Dofus?” she spoke out her question. “You had another one?”  
“Not one. Two" Kerubim replied. "Two of the Primordial Dofus which originally belonged to Papa's parents. Ebony Dofus and Ivory Dofus, two most dangerous out of all six existing"  
“Okay, so they wanted those Dofus, which is wrong in itself, but why did they take Joris too?” she just couldn’t understand what was going on. All this information made her head spin.   
“Because he's their guardian," Atcham said. "He explained it to us once, that due to once being a host to Grougalorasalar, the Ebony dragon, and being a guardian of Dardondakal, the Ivory Dragon, he can sense them. I presume the Rogue, and whoever she’s working for, were afraid Papa would find them, so they took him along”  
“This...” Alys sat down, trying to grasp the enormous amount of information she had just been filled with. “This is all so that he won’t follow them? I just… I can’t...” her vision blurred, overloaded with the information she learned. Atcham put his paw on her shoulder, stroking it gently.  
“Don't worry, Alys. Papa is strong. Everything will be alright" he comforted her. She looked up at him, a small thankful smile crept its way across her lips.   
“By Ecaflip!” a fearful exclamation made them turn their gaze at Kerubim. He was staring at the page of the book he was holding, eyes filled with horror. “I’ve found the symbol… and it’s even worse than we thought… ”


	3. Imprisonment

The first thing he noticed after he came to, were heavy iron shackles. They rounded his wrists and kept them high over his head, keeping him in a stand-up position. Sturdy, not good, he thought, taking a moment to test the item's hardiness. Getting them off won't be impossible, but definitely not an easy task. He decided to let it be for now and switched to observing his surrounding. It appeared he was in a dungeon of some sort. Opposite of him, there was a wooden door with a little-barred window at the top of it. He could hear quiet voices from behind the door, most likely the guards.   
His gaze moved to his left, noticing a long wooden table, with a set of peculiar tools spread over it. He narrowed his eyes, as he recognised some of them as being used for tortures. Not a good sign, he presumed. His gut told him he'll probably have a close encounter with few of them, and that thought sent a chill down his spine. He'd have to find a way to escape wherever he was held captive before it happens.   
In one of the corners, he noticed a plain-looking chair, presumably going to be used while interrogation, if any will happen, and he presumed it will. He looked up to examine his bindings more closely. It appeared the shackles were bound to the wall by the two sets of chains. There was a lever further to his left, most likely to loosen or tighten the chains. There was a small window right under the ceiling, but he couldn't see what time of day it was from the place he was situated at.   
Changing his focus back to the shackles, he noticed they had binding on each side, with solid metal in-between. He’d have to force open both to free his hands. He gritted his teeth in annoyance, this was even harder than he thought at the beginning.   
Louder voices from behind the door got his attention, as he strained his senses trying to hear whether any of them was a familiar one. He grunted as he recognised one of the voices belonging to the female Rogue from the bazaar, Dalila.   
The door threw open, and several people walked in, Dalila being one of them. The red-haired Rogue stood by the opposite wall and leaned her back against it, crossing her arms over her chest. He quietly observed the rest of the people inside, taking a notice of one man grabbing the chair from the corner and positioning it in the middle of the room, in front of him. Another woman, apparently the leader, walked to the chair and sat down, her vibrant violet eyes staring at her prisoner.   
“The famous Master of Bonta," she said, pushing her dark locks behind her ear. "Pleased to make your acquaintance"   
“Pleasure reciprocated” he bluntly replied, gazing at the woman from under his hood. “I don’t associate myself with people who steal what does not belong to them and kidnap those who oppose them”  
Dalila grunted her teeth and reached to her holster, but the lifted hand of the dark-haired woman stopped her. She huffed in annoyance but retracted her hand back to her chest.   
“Is that so?” the violet eyes seemed to pierce through his skull, but he didn’t even flinch. “Well, it seems you’ll have to outlive, as we’re going to spend some time together. And I believe it’s in your best intention to cooperate”   
She nodded her head towards the long table he took notice of before. He gulped lightly but kept a straight face.   
“I assure you, your doing won't be taken lightly by the inhabitants of the World of Twelve," he said, his voice calm and collected. "By the law, any act of crime against any political figure of the kingdom is treated as the crime against its' crown. When King Theron learns about the matter-"  
His threat was cut off by soft tutting coming from the dark-haired woman.   
“All good, but I’m afraid there is one small detail that escaped your attention, Master Jurgen” she smirked and moved closer to his face. “It’s not when he learns, but if he does. And seeing you here, and not going anywhere, I highly doubt your king will ever learn what happens”  
The menacing tone she used answered any unasked questions about the fate of the Bontarian master after the kidnappers decide he’d fulfilled his purpose. She stepped back, an evil grin not leaving her face, as she observed her prisoner for any reactions. He didn’t move a muscle, however, not going to let the woman have her opportunity. She smirked at his stubbornness and moved back to sit on her chair.   
“But enough talking about an elderly king of whatever kingdom he rules" she dismissed the discussion, Joris clenching his teeth at the way she had spoken about the one he chose to serve with all his life. "As Dalila here" she motioned at the Rogue in the back of the room, "was such a darling to deliver us both Primordial Dofus and their guardian, I think it's high time we get to the point"  
“Pardon me, but I can’t see a reason behind you bringing me here” the ambassador in blue replied bluntly. “It’s not like you don’t know how to use them. All you have to do is hold the Dofus to be able to use its power”  
“Oh, please” violet eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement. “Anyone can shoot bolts of energy in random directions. No, I want the real power. I want them to obey me. And you, Joris Jurgen” she leaned forward towards the shackled master, the grin disappearing and making a way for a serious look on her face. “will tell me how”  
The look he gave her from the shadow of his hood, full of stubbornness and refusal, made her twitch in annoyance.   
“Very well, if that's how you wanna play," she said, nodding her head just slightly. As on cue, two men who stood behind the chair made their way towards the small master. One of them quickly grabbed Joris' small legs, while the other locked them in another pair of shackles chained to the floor. The men moved back and retook their positions behind the chair of their leader. She waited for them to stand in their places, before she nodded her head yet again, this time towards the red-haired Rogue by the opposite wall. The woman moved from the place she was standing and approached the lever, Joris recognised as the one controlling the length of the chains. Before anyone said anything, she pushed the lever to the limit, the chains shooting up and tensing, when they encountered the resistance from the chains by the master's ankles. His whole body stretched, being pulled in two different directions at the same time. He clenched his teeth and shut his eyes not to give out the painful cry, although his whole frame hurt from the sudden action. As quickly as the chains were stretched, the pull ceased, almost making him fall to the stone floor if it wasn't for the bindings on his limbs. He panted while the burning sensation stayed upon his wrists and ankles.  
“Here’s how it’s going to work, Master Jurgen” the dark locks appeared in his vision, as his head was lifted by his chin, violet eyes staring into his own. “I will ask a question, and you will answer. If you tell me what I want to know, nothing happens, and we move to the next question. But if I decide, your reply does not satisfy me enough, Dalila will pull on your chains so hard, you will be begging for mercy. And if you still refuse to listen, I have plenty of aces up my sleeve, to make you cooperate. Are we clear?”   
He gave her no answer at all, except for his eyes narrowing at her.   
“Good” she released his chin and took a few steps back, facing the door to the cell. “First question, how do I make Dofus obey me?”  
The silence followed her question, small master's eyes piercing through the back of the female leader's skull. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, the chains rattling before another pull went through Joris' body. He tensed up, eyes closed and teeth clenched. It lasted a little bit longer than last time before the chains let up and he fell forward.   
“Let's try again, shall we?" the female voice asked, as he panted and gasped for air. "How do I make them obey me?" she repeated the question, pausing after every word to put more strength into the sentence. Once again he refused to answer, and once again he felt his limbs being torn up from his torso, the pain almost unbearable. The cycle continued throughout the next hour, the dark-haired woman asking the same question over again, him keeping silent, the chains tensing and stretching his small body over its limit.   
He felt his body give in to the gravity, once again hanging loose on the shackles as the chains have been released.   
“He’s not giving up, Dame” Dalila spoke up, her green eyes observing the fatigued master from behind her mask. His mind barely registered what was said, but managed to take a notice of how the Rogue addressed the female leader. The annoyed click of the tongue and furious tapping against the stone floor was enough reason to believe, Dame was not pleased with the comment, however truthful it had been. Violet eyes jumped between the prisoner and the wooden table as if deciding on the course of action. Making up her mind, Dame approached the table, and picked up one of the instruments, its shape similar to a corkscrew, but bearing a single button of unknown purpose on the handle. She swiftly approached the Bontarian master, and swung the tool at him, diving it into his thigh. His head shot up, and he let out a short cry of surprise and pain, when the instrument penetrated his skin, reaching the muscle underneath. Blood sprang out from the wound, oozing to the ground in a small stream.   
“How to control the Dofus?” Dame asked, venom seeping from her lips, as she played with the tool, turning it in the open wound.   
“Go to Shukrute!” Joris snarled, surprising both himself and the woman. Who knew he was able to produce such a disrespectful reply?   
She growled in response, her face curved with anger. She forcefully pushed the button on the instrument, making it buzz and start spinning in a rapid manner. His eyes widened, as he held out the cry which made his way up his throat. Dame didn't pay attention to asking questions anymore, as she went back to the wooden table to grab some more of the tools and furiously stabbed Joris' body with them, creating multiple bloody wounds with spinning instruments inside. She panted angrily, as she observed the master's struggle against the urge to cry his throat out with the amount of pain he was inflicted. No one seemed to care as more blood flooded the floor underneath the prisoner, oozing furiously from the wounds. They just stood there, watching the small body twitch and turn from pain.   
Finally, after what felt like hours, the two bodyguards approached the tortured master and took out the instruments, one by one. Joris let his body drop, hanging loosely on the bindings, the only thing keeping him from falling face-forward to the blood-filled floor. He panted and gasped for air, his breaths sharp and irregular due to the blood-loss. He struggled to keep his eyes open, his eyelids feeling heavy all of the sudden. On the verge of his vision, he noticed a pair of dark-purple shoes approach him, a leather glove grabbing his chin to lift his head up, meeting a pair of violet eyes. The red lips moved, but his mind didn't register anything that was said, stuck too much on the pain inflicted. His head dropped back, as the hand retracted and the shoes stepped back. It took all of his left strength to look up, noticing Dame and her entourage leave the room, closing the door behind them. He let his head drop again, gazing at the pool of his own blood. His vision blurred, dark spots appearing at the edges, becoming larger and larger as the time passed. He didn't know how much blood he lost, but he presumed it was dangerously too much, considering his poor state. As he fell into unconsciousness, he managed to notice the door opening again, a small figure making its way inside, before everything turned into the abyss.


	4. Dragonborns

Alys and the two Ecaflips leaned over the table, the book situated in the middle for everyone to have a clear view of the content.

Dragonborns, an elite guild of unknown origin. Its members consist of murderers, traitors to the crown, the worst of the worst. Very little is known about Dragonborns, besides rumours and unconfirmed information. They are believed to have their lair somewhere in the depths of Brakmar.  
Dragonborns oppose any ruling power in the World of Twelve, believing they only answer before their leader. The exact number or identities of the members are unknown. Many believe Dragonborns somehow managed to penetrate every government in the World of Twelve, that knowledge, however, being unconfirmed.  
Their symbol, a dragon eating its own tail, curving in the shape of the infinity sign, is said to represent their infinite number, as well as being able to appear everywhere.  
It is highly recommended to stay as far as possible from the guild, and not dwell too deep, as those who did, are said to disappear. 

Silence fell on the living room of Kerubim's bazaar after the white-furred Ecaflip finished reading whatever information they've found in the book. Alys stared at the open book, mouth agape and eyes wide open with horror. Once again, she felt dizzy with the data, the world swaying and spinning before her eyes. Suddenly, the world turned sideways, and she saw nothing but darkness.  
“What? Did she fall asleep?" the house-controlling Shushu commented, staring at the laid down woman.  
“Don’t be stupid, Luis” Kerubim huffed at him, coming closer to the unconscious Eliatrope and gently caressing her cheek. “Looks like it was too much for her” his gaze stopped at his Ecaflip brother.  
Atcham approached the woman, gently picking her up and moving towards the sofa. He gingerly laid the female Eliatrope on the piece of furniture, Kerubim coming back with a blanket to cover her up.  
“Let her rest, while we search for more information about those Dragonborns” he turned to the fur-less Ecaflip. His brother nodded at the idea, and both turned around to leave the room.  
“We’ll leave her in your care, Luis” Atcham asked the Shushu. There was a quiet humph in response, but he didn’t refuse the task.  
“When she wakes up, tell her we’re in the library” Kerubim added, following his brother out of the room.  
“Sure, what else? Serve her coffee and some biscuits?” Luis sarcastically called after both Ecaflips left. He sighed in annoyance, his eye moving to look at the sleeping woman. “By Shukrute...” he murmured, watching her chest slowly rise and fall.  


She was standing in the complete darkness, a void with nothing around. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was sitting in the living room at Joris’, reading out the information from the book. The book! Her eyes grew wider, as she recalled what they found about the symbol on the pin Atcham found in the shop. Dragonborns, the guild of criminals. They were the ones that-  
She shook her head, blond locks waving around, as she tried to get rid of the thought. But no matter how she tried, the fact remained. Joris was taken away from her, held captive Goddess knew where just because he won't follow whoever took the Primordial Dofus. Or was it the only reason? She couldn't believe someone would go to such lengths only to stop someone from finding out their hiding place. It would be much easier to…  
She shook her head once more, trying to erase the mental image of bloodied and limp body of the small master. No, whatever the reason, it wasn’t only to ensure he wouldn’t follow.  
Suddenly, she noticed a shape in the corner of her vision. She turned in the direction, and gasped loudly, a hand covering her mouth.  
“Joris!” she cried and dashed towards the small figure of Bontarian master spread on the black surface, only the blue of his clothes giving away his position. He struggled to get up, his eyes searching the surrounding, finally finding the female Eliatrope making her way towards him. His eyes sparked with hope, when all of the sudden, chains sprung out from behind him, capturing his body and dragging him away.  
“No!" she shouted with despair, creating a portal to get to his side faster. She exited the zaap and had to dodge to the side immediately, as a bullet was fired her way. She looked to where the shot originated from, noticing a mess of red hair and green eyes hidden beneath a black mask. The woman laughed mockingly, firing few more times, making the female Eliatrope jump around to avoid being hit. She created another portal, which sucked in the bullets, before shooting them back in the woman's direction. They almost reached the target, as the woman pulled the chained Joris before her, intending to use him as her shield. Alys quickly created another portal, managing to send the incoming fire in the other direction, before it hit defenceless master.  
“So predictable” the red-haired Rogue laughed, swinging the ambassador of Bonta like a puppet while laughing loudly.  
“Let him go!" Alys cried, eyes filled with tears of anger and fear. She almost hurt the one who was dearest to her, and that made her heart stop for a moment. Again, the image of his bloodied and limp body appeared in her mind. She shut her eyes and crouched, trying to get rid of it, the menacing laughter from the Rogue definitely not helping with the matter.  
“Fear the wrath of Dragonborns!" the loud exclamation made the woman look up, only to see the Rogue and bound Joris to disappear, giving place to the enormous dragon flying over her head. The dragon was eating his own tail, curving in the shape of the infinity symbol. Suddenly, the dragon changed his course and rushed toward the crouching Eliatrope. She fell back in fear, leaning on her arms, eyes stuck on the dragon as it was getting closer and closer. The monster opened its mouth, and the spat out the fire. Her eyes reflected the approaching flame as her body refused to move.  


She sprang up, her eyes wide open, forehead soaked wet with sweat, gasping for air as she tried to calm herself down. It was a while since the last time she had such a vivid nightmare, the experience and emotions still hanging with her. Joris… and the red-haired Rogue… She put a hand over her eyes, trying to understand what did she just saw. It was definitely a warning, serving to keep her away from Dragonborns. But the nightmare had only made her worry for her lover grow bigger.  
She let out a set of long breaths to calm herself down, before reaching out for the blanket she kicked down with her sudden arousal.  
“Well, what do you know?” she heard the all-too-known voice from the door, noticing the eye stuck over the door frame. “Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up. I was starting to worry I’d have to kiss you”  
“How long was I out?” Alys asked, putting her feet down and standing up from the sofa she was laying on. Probably Atcham put her there after she fainted, as he was the only one with enough strength and build to do so.  
“Dunno, an hour maybe?” the eye shrugged. “Didn’t really count”  
“And where are Atcham and Mister Crepin?” the female Eliatrope only now noticed the absence of the two Ecaflips.  
“In the library” Shushu replied simply. “They were saying something about researching some more, while you take your sweet time dozing off”  
“I’m sure they didn’t phrase it like you did, but thank you” the woman smiled at the eye, making her way to the room specified by the Shushu. She quietly knocked on the door, before creaking it open and walking inside. Both Ecaflips looked up from the piles of books they were surrounded by, surprised by the sudden appearance.  
“Alys, you’re awake” Kerubim exclaimed, putting down the book he was currently reading and approaching the woman. “My, you look shaken. Is everything okay?” his worried gaze made her smile a little.  
“It was only a nightmare, nothing serious" she assured, feeling a little bit guilty about brushing the thing off, but they already had much on their plate. She didn't have to add up more, by sharing her worrisome dream. "But thank you for asking" she patted his paw and moved towards the piles of books. "Found anything of interest?"  
“Not much. Most of the books consist only as much information as we've found already" Atcham shook his head in defeat.  
“So we’ve got no leads?” her hidden wings dropped at the news, the feeling of helplessness too overwhelming.  
“Well, there is one thing we can try...” the fur-less Ecaflip cautiously said, his eyes switching between Alys and his brother. “But it’s rather risky. And I can’t ensure it will work”  
“What is it?” Alys’ wings perked up, a spark of hope finding its place in her eyes. If there was even the slightest possibility to find the whereabouts of the Bontarian master, she was willing to go for it.  
“I know someone in Brakmar. He knows everything that’s going on in the city and outside of it. Knows everyone” the Ecaflip lowered his ears as he said that. “But he and I don’t have a good history, so I don’t know if he’d help us”  
“That’s the only lead we have, right?” the female Eliatrope pointed out. “We have to at least try”  
“Alys is right, brother” Kerubim agreed. “Good history or not, this is Papa we’re talking about”  
Atcham pondered for a moment, before nodding and standing up.  
“Agreed. This is no time to waver. Papa's life can be at the stake" he brushed his pants before facing the two others in the library. "Gather what you need, we're going to Brakmar!"


	5. Peculiar Visit

A powerful shock shook the small body, the chains rattling along with the spasmodic movement. Dame cut the power off and thoroughly observed her prisoner as he once again struggled to breathe properly.   
“It would be much easier if you'd just cooperated, Master Jurgen" she commented, her eyes narrowing dangerously.   
The persistence of the Bontarian master was famed and definitely not exaggerated, as she believed at the beginning. No matter how many times she pushed him past his limit, or devised more deadly tortures, he just wouldn’t say a word. Her eyes twitched, as he lifted his head and stared at her with his usual blank face. She just couldn’t figure him out, and the darkness of his hood didn’t help her either. She tried to get rid of it once, so she could have a better view on the facial expressions he made during tortures, but the blackness of his skin and the emptiness of his figure caused her to suffer from nightmares the following night, so she ordered to cover him up again.   
“Tell me how to control the Dofus” she snarled through the teeth, but once more he gave her nothing but a stare. Even a wall could be more talkative than he was. The last time he spoke, was the time he cursed her to go to Shukrute, and that was a week ago. How can someone be so stubborn?   
“Fine, so be it” she exclaimed in fury, her dark hair swaying swiftly to the side, as she rapidly turned around. “The prisoner won’t get food NOR drink today! That’s an order!” she shouted to the guard, her face twisted with anger.   
“But… it’s already been five days...” the guard protested, but stopped once he noticed a deathly glare she shot his way. She stared darkly at the panting figure behind her, huffing in annoyance and stormed out of the room. “Yes, ma’am...” the man nodded in defeat. The rest of Dame’s entourage decided to quickly go after their leader, as to not anger her even more than the small master’s persistence already did.   
Joris breathed hard, as his eyes followed the leaving people, the door closing behind them. Once again, he was left alone. He tried to even his breathing which wasn't an easy task with the burning sensation in his lungs and the dryness of the throat. He mentally thanked Dame for losing patience and deciding to end the tortures for today. The last session almost made him gave in to the urge of relieving his pain through screaming. The only thing keeping him away from the needed outburst was his pride. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of finally breaking him into crying out, but he wasn't sure how more he could take.   
His head shot up and breathing quickened when he noticed the door to his cell slightly creaked. Were they back already? He didn't manage to recover yet! His dilated pupils stared straight as a young woman, barely in her twenties, went into the room. Wait, not went, flew. Her medium-sized wings fluttered in his direction, as she reached out to close the door behind her. She turned around and let out a startled shriek, followed by a twang and shutter of glass.   
“By my grandmother’s brush! You’re awake!” she cried, her pupils growing larger in disbelief. He rose his brew, not quite understanding the Eniripsa’s reaction. Why was she here anyway? His gaze lowered to underneath her feet. There were chunks of food mixed with water and broken glass pieces. The woman followed her gaze and shrieked again at the sight.   
“Hey, what’s going on there?” the deep manly voice called from behind the door. Eniripsa jumped up in surprise at the sudden reaction.  
“N-nothing, sir" she stuttered trying to clean up the mess she made. "I-I just dropped something, clumsy me" she laughed nervously. She let out a small yelp and stuck her finger in her mouth when she accidentally cut herself with the piece of glass. Joris observed the frightened woman, his eyes glinted with a mixture of amazement and confusion. A muffled mutter from the other side of the door made both Bontarian master and Eniripsa breath a sigh of relief.   
Finally, the woman managed to gather everything from the floor, and fluttered a few inches above it, hands full with wastage. She looked around the room, trying to find anywhere to put them.  
“Wait here” she addressed the small master, before flying off. He wasn’t sure what to think about Eniripsa’s remark. Where else would he go with shackles on his wrists and ankles?   
Soon enough, the young woman was back again, with another plate and glass of water. This time he could actually focus on the appearance of the peculiar visitor. The Eniripsa had short blond hair with two little pigtails at the top of her head. Her big brown eyes were hidden behind equally large circular glasses. She wore a simple white and green dress, complemented with white socks and green slippers. Her wings shimmered with a green glow when she approached him, the tray in her hands.  
“Sorry to made you wait" she apologized with a blush. "You surprised me. Usually, when I arrived you were out of it. I didn't know even where to start. Your chest was the worst though. All those scars and burns over your abs and-" she blurred out. He stared at her in astonishment. She suddenly gasped and put her hand over her mouth, realising what she just said. The tray wavered dangerously, Eniripsa gasping again and grabbing it with both hands again, muttering a quiet apology.   
He let himself to lift the corner of his mouth, his eyes twinkling. Their eyes meet, and she quickly turned her head, hiding the red cheeks. She was a peculiar being.   
“Anyway” the young woman coughed to get rid of an annoying blush. “I figured you must be hungry. I know Dame forbid us to give you food or drink, but it’s been five days already, and you must be starving. I know I would” she held up the tray to him. Joris eyed the tray, before looking at her in confusion. Her face flushed, as she realised the lack of logic in her action. She flew towards the torture table and put the tray down, before grabbing the plate and the spoon and going back to the shackled master.   
“Here, I’ll feed you” she offered, filling the spoonful of food. “If you don’t mind, that is” she smiled sheepishly, her face still red.   
“Why…?” he asked hoarsely, his throat dry after five days of silence. She tilted her head at him.  
“Excuse me?” her voice confused at the question.  
“Why are you doing this?” he tried again, this time sounding less raspy. Her hand dropped down, the spoon falling on the plate.  
“Because I can’t stand seeing you all beat up and hurt” she whispered, averting her gaze. “I can understand the desperate need to get what you want, but this-” she motioned with the hand to the wooden table with torture instruments. “-this is too much!” tears shone in her eyes as she turned back to face Joris. Her eyes looked down at the plate she was holding. “I’m not strong, I can’t fight. I can’t make her stop hurting you. But if I can at least heal your injuries just a little, and sneak you in some food… so please...” she sniffed her nose, trying to hold up tears.   
“It’s enough...” a quiet response made her head snap forward. He smiled at the kind-hearted Eniripsa. Her eyes gleamed, her mouth curved into a wide smile. He eyed the food, his stomach making a turn at the sight. “But maybe a glass of water would serve me better. Wouldn’t want to make you clean up the floor again”  
“Oh, right” she agreed, her face reddening again. She quickly sidetracked to the table, putting down the plate and reaching for the glass instead. She flew up to the small master, gently tilting the glass for him to be able to water his dried throat. “Now, try not to move too much” she ordered, as she put down the glass and took her brush.   
He obediently stayed still, as she moved her hand up and down his body, taking care of the worst injuries.   
“What is someone like you doing in a place like this?” he suddenly asked, the brush stopping at the remark. She looked up to him from the crouching position, before standing up and brushing off her dress.   
“Dame took me in after both of my parents died" she replied, glancing up at the ceiling. "I was twelve when it happened. I remember them leaving to work that day, and then getting a message they were killed in a fight between two dark guilds. Civilian victims, one of many in that fateful event" she flew up to the window, her gaze reaching the crimson-coloured sky. "The owner of our flat kicked me out, as being unable to pay the rent. I wandered the streets for days before I bumped into Dame and her men. One of them was severely injured. She noticed me and ordered me to help him since I was an Eniripsa. I did, and since then she decided to make me her personal healer"  
Joris kept quiet, staring at the young woman from underneath his hood. He wasn’t sure what to think about the story. Sure, Dame did save Eniripsa’s life, from what she said, but it still looked to him like she didn’t quite belong to the people she was forced to live with.   
“So… that’s my story” the woman smiled, as she turned to face the Bontarian master again. “I don’t quite feel at home between the Dragonborns, but it’s still better than living on the street”  
“Dragonborns?” Joris tilted his head in confusion. The name did ring a bell, but he couldn’t put a finger on it.   
“That’s the guild’s name” the female Eniripsa replied. “And speaking of names, did I tell you mine?”   
He shook his head, and the woman’s cheeks turned pink. She’s an easy one to baffle, he thought with an amazed glint in his eyes.   
“Sorry, my bad," she said with a sheepish smile. "People say I always have my head in the clouds. Maybe it's because I'm an Eniripsa" she laughed a little at the joke she made. "I'm Anrika, nice to meet you"  
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Anrika" he nodded his head in acknowledgement. "My name is-"  
“Master Joris Jurgen, the famed Master of Bonta, rumoured to live for over six centuries. I’ve always wanted to meet you in flesh! I’ve always admired your devotion to your king, and”- she blurted out, cutting in his introduction. He stared at her, his expression baffled. Her nose almost touched his own, as she moved in closer while talking. She blinked, before letting out a shriek and retreating, her hands on her mouth.   
“Yes… that’s me...” he managed to say. “I didn’t expect to find my fan among my captors”   
“A-a fan? Me?” Anrika stuttered, playing with her fingers, gaze adverted and cheeks flushed. “No, I’m not. I’m just-” she stopped, not really knowing how to explain herself. “I-I gotta go!” she cried, flying to the table to grab the tray. She quickly approached the door, yelping in surprise as she hit herself in the nose.   
Joris observed the female Eniripsa nervously leaving the room, the clatter and another shriek from the corridor making him roll his eyes in amusement.


	6. Information Dealer

Chapter 6: Information Dealer  
It wasn't easy to stay in the heart of the city, which brought so many dark memories, yet there she was. Alys constantly had to remind herself, she was doing it for Joris. If it wasn't for that though, she would have left the moment her feet touched the cold stones of Brakmarian streets. Or wouldn't even come to the city to start with. But the small ambassador, her hidden lover, was somewhere in this city, held captive by Dragonborns, the collection of the worst villains from all over the World of Twelve.   
Alys slapped her cheeks to remain focused. The reason they came to Brakmar without any leads to Dragonborns' hideout, was to meet a person who has the knowledge they need. At least Atcham believed they did. The female Eliatrope let out a tired sigh, resting her head on her arm. It's been over a week since they arrived at the city, but the fur-less Ecaflip still didn't manage to take hold of the person they needed. They were venturing the city in breadth and length for the past days, trying to locate the mysterious acquaintance of the Ecaflip, but to no avail. Alys and Kerubim came back to the inn they stayed in less than half-an-hour ago, Atcham deciding to search some more, before calling it a day too. This wasn't looking good.   
A loud stomping on the stairs caught the woman’s attention, her head turning towards the door. The wooden frame shook, as Kerubim’s brother rushed into the room.   
“I’ve got the address!” he exclaimed, waving a slip of paper in his paw. There was a sudden tremor as both Alys and Kerubim jumped to their feet, the fragile floorboards creaking dangerously.   
“About time" the white-furred Ecaflip commented but patted his brother on the shoulder in acknowledgement. "Let's go then"  
“Yeah… maybe it’s better if I stay here...” Atcham cautiously suggested, his long ears slumping.  
“What are you saying, Atch? Of course, you're coming along" Kerubim furrowed his brows at the suggestion. "They know you, right?"  
“Yeah, I suppose they do, but-” he scratched his neck nervously.   
“Then there’s no arguing about it. All three of us are going” his brother stated, motioning to the door. “Lead the way, brother”  
Atcham sighed in defeat, seeing no way to convince the white-furred Ecaflip. Alys quietly followed her two companions, wondering who was a mysterious person that was to help them find Joris.   
They travelled for a longer period of time, taking so many turns that the female Eliatrope felt dizzy and helplessly lost if it wasn't for the fur-less Ecaflip to lead them. He seemed to know his way around the town very well, not even hesitating at the crossroads. Finally, after a great deal of walking, they were standing in front of an inconspicuous building, not seemingly different from the others on the same street. Atcham approached the door and knocked several times, in what sounded like a code of some sort. A small hatch opened, two eyes narrowed at the intruders.   
“What do you want?” a grumpy voice called from the inside, the gaze over the three companions.   
“We're here to see Miss Raylee" Atcham spoke up, the eyes focusing on his slim frame. The hatch closed with a thump before they heard a clatter of the chain and unlocking several other locks. The door opened to reveal a grumpy-looking Enutrof who seized them before stepping away to grant them entrance.   
“Make it quick. The boss has a tight schedule” he ordered, as they made their way inside to what looked like a private inn. Several people were sitting by the long counter, beer glasses in their hands. There were also few smaller tables by the windows, occupied by card-players. The Enutrof closed the door behind them and stepped in front, motioning them to follow him. He led them to the small room in the back, filled with letters, scrolls and books. Opposite the door stood a simple wooden desk, by which sat petite female Ecaflip. Her beige ears twitched and she looked up at the trio. Her eyes narrowed when her gaze stopped at the fur-less Ecaflip.  
“Atcham...” she growled, putting her feather down and staring at the intruder. “I thought I was clear when I said I don’t want to see your damned snout again”  
“I know, and I understand" Atcham replied, sweat forming on his forehead. "But I need your help"  
“I also needed help that day” she countered, her arms crossed on her chest. The male Ecaflip lowered his ears in shame.   
“I know, and I should have helped you” he agreed, looking away. “But I was scared I would-”  
“Die?” Raylee finished, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “Well, look here. I was too. And I’m not some damned demigod like you are, Atcham! I don’t have nine lives at my disposal! And you tell me you were afraid to die?!”  
The fur on the small Ecaflip’s body stood on its end as she cried out in anger, tears forming in her eyes.  
“Rey..” Atcham whispered, peering at the furious female from under his brows.  
“I told you to stop calling me that!" she yelled, her voice reaching the high pitch. "I lost my tail that day, Atcham!" she pointed to the stump on her back, tears flooding her blue eyes. She breathed hard, her stare deadly set on the fur-less Ecaflip. "Now get out of my sight, and this time, don't come back!" she snarled, sitting back in her chair.  
Atcham turned his head to meet Alys and Kerubim's eyes, with "told-you-so" look. Alys glanced at the female Ecaflip, feeling her heart slump. This was it? The only person to give them any hints on Joris was kicking them out without providing them with any support or guidance? Her brows snapped together, a determined look on her face. She won't let it end like this.  
“With all due respect, Miss Reylee” the female Eliatrope spoke up, her gaze stuck at the Ecaflip behind the desk. “I don’t know what happened between you and Atcham. And frankly, I’d love for you to talk it out, but I’m afraid we don’t have time for that”  
“There is nothing-” Reylee started, but Alys cut her off.  
“There is ALWAYS something to talk about, Miss Reylee," she said, gazing at both Ecaflips, before continuing. "But we've come to you because you seem to know everything about this city and its inhabitants, and we're in a dire need of some information"   
The beige Ecaflip grabbed her chin and pondered for a moment, before nodding to the Eliatrope.  
“Very well, I'll listen to your request" she agreed. "But I'll be the one deciding if it's really worth my time and effort to help you"  
“I assure you, it is" Alys nodded in agreement. "A week ago, a dear friend of mine, and a father-figure to Atcham and Mister Crepin was assaulted and kidnapped from his own home. We've investigated all we could, but our leads disappeared in Brakmar. We know those who took him away are somewhere in the city, and Atcham believes you're the only one who can help us find them"  
“This lead you’re talking about” Reylee inquired. “What is it?”  
“A badge with a peculiar symbol” Alys reached out to her pouch, fishing out the trinket and showing it to the beige Ecaflip. Her eyes narrowed at the sight, but she kept quiet. “We’ve found out it belongs to a member of a villain guild of Brakmar, called Dragonborns, but we don’t know anything else, which may lead us to their hideout”  
“No wonder, Dragonborns are difficult to track down” Reylee nodded in thoughtfulness.   
“So you can’t help us?” Alys’ hidden wings flopped in defeat. She hoped the Ecaflip could help them, but now…?  
“I said difficult, not impossible” came the answer, which made Alys’ eyes glint with hope. “And, if I may ask, who is this dear friend, and a father-figure to those two” she motioned her head at the two Ecaflips in the back, “you’re talking about?”   
“Master Joris Jurgen” saying her lover’s name out loud made her heart drop, the worry for his well-being still lingering. The female Ecaflip’s eyes rounded in surprise after she heard the name.  
“THE Master Joris?!" she shrieked, her face turning white. "At the hands of Dragonborns?!"  
“With the two of Primordial Dofus, I might add" Kerubim spoke up.   
“By Ecaflip!” Reylee exclaimed in fear. “This is dreadful! We must act at once!” she shot up from her sitting place, rushing towards the piles of papers, shuffling through them in a nervous matter. She kept mumbling under her breath, as her eyes wandered over tons of different notes and documents, before finding the right one. The small Ecaflip approached the trio with a sense of accomplishment. “Here it is. I sure went through a lot to get it” she reached the hand with the small note towards Alys. “I’m not sure how up-to-date it is, but it’s worth to try”  
Alys opened the piece of paper with trembling hands, her eyes staring at the letters imprinted. Her eyes sparkled with joy at the sight.   
“We've got an address!" she turned to her companions, showing them the note. Both of them looked through the paper, before smiling happily. The small note surely rose their spirits after the unfruitful week of searching. "Thank you" the woman kneeled down and hugged the petite Ecaflip. Reylee tensed at the sudden affection before she smiled and returned the hug.   
“Just be careful," she asked, as she stepped back and gazed at the pair of Ecaflips and the female Eliatrope. "Dragonborns are not the ones you should take lightly, nor rush into their lair without thinking" her eyes stopped at the fur-less Ecaflip before she blushed and looked away. "Make sure to come back in one piece"  
“I'll make it up to you, Rey" Atcham promised, gratitude present in his eyes. She huffed in annoyance but smiled a little at the remark.  
“I’m sure you will, Atch” she replied in a seductive voice, which made the said Ecafli shudder. “But all in due time. Now you need to hurry”  
“Thank you again, Miss Reylee" Alys called, when they exited the room and the grumpy Enutrof led them back to the front door. She managed to hold down the squee of delight she felt when she looked at the folded note in her hand. Finally a real lead. They were a step closer to finding Dragonborns, and Joris with them. She looked up to the crimson sky, taking a deep breath, before looking down at her two companions. "Let's go, Mister Crepin, Atcham," she said, starting up to the street. Both Ecaflips smiled and followed their Eliatrope friend. It was time to set things right.


	7. The Reason to Fight

The Eniripsa's healing brush felt good on his burned skin, after another fruitless interrogation session. Once again, the furious dark-haired woman stormed out of the room leaving the Bontarian master all hurt and pained, on the verge of consciousness. Soon after she left, a familiar flutter of wings sounded in his ears, as Anrika made her way inside, the familiar tray in her hands. Seeing the state he was in, she gasped and almost dropped the tray, which happened far too often for the master's liking. The young healer sure was clumsy in handling anything different than injuries. She managed to set the tray on the wooden table in one piece, before setting to work on easing his pain.   
After Anrika decided his injuries were taken care of, she moved to carefully feeding the small master. At some point, she begun blabbering about random stuff, not paying attention to the lack of any response from her listener.  
“And then I thought, maybe I should dye my hair to a more vibrant colour. Something red maybe? I don’t know” she gazed up at Joris with a smile. “What do you think?”  
“Excuse me?” the puzzled look he gave her made her cheeks turn pink and look away, laughing nervously.  
“Yeah, you’re right. Red is not really my colour. What was I thinking?” she hit the side of her head in a playful manner, sticking out her tongue.   
The Bontarian master sighed, deciding not to dwell on the subject. It would create even more confusion, and his mind wasn’t ready to take it on. Although Anrika was able to heal his body, the mind was another matter. Sure, the visits of the young Eniripsa after each meeting with Dame, which happened once a few hours, made the situation more bearable. But he couldn’t notice the prolonged imprisonment was starting to take its toll on his mentality. It wasn’t that bad yet, but he could recall seeing a few prisoners who had gone mad after spending too much time in isolation.   
“Brown?” he heard the Eniripsa mumble under her breath. Was she still talking about her hair? “Or maybe black?”  
“Not going to implore, but don’t you have anywhere else to be?” he asked, interrupting the young woman’s trail of thoughts. She blinked several times, to process the question.  
“Am I being too intimidating?" she asked, casting her gaze to her feet. "I'm sorry if I'm talking too much, but you're the only person in the whole building who doesn't tell me off after I started talking"  
“I didn’t mean it like that” he apologised with a tilt of his head. “What I meant was, don’t you have any duties to attend. I didn’t want to keep you from your work”  
“Oh, thank my grandmother's brush! I was scared for a moment that you were angry at me for talking so much" Anrika sighed in relief. "Well, I don't have any work in particular. I'm basically free to go around the building unless I'm summoned by Dame"  
“Why didn't you just leave, then?" the question surprised the young Eniripsa, her puzzled expression visible from the corner of his hood. "If you just left Brakmar, I'm sure they wouldn't even follow you" She smiled a little, before looking up at the ceiling.   
“And where would I go?" she asked, her eyes fixated on the dark rock above her head. "I have no relatives or friends. Sure, it's not perfect here, with Dragonborns, but at least I have a bed to sleep in and something to eat. I won't complain"  
“And if you could find someone who could take you in unconditionally, who would treat you like family… if you could live in a place you could call your home… would you leave then?" he pushed, feeling sorry for the young girl. She didn't belong to those villains, to Brakmar. She deserved a better place, where she could be herself without fear and doubt. Maybe she could leave with him and live in the bazaar. He was sure neither Luis nor his sons wouldn't mind the young Eniripsa's company. And Alys too. She would at least have another woman to talk to when she comes for a visit.   
His eyes met hers, as she turned around, confused about the remark. Home… Was there really a place out there she could call as such? She pondered on the thought, smiling a little bit.  
“If really such place existed… then yes, I would leave” she replied. “But I couldn’t leave you here, so you’d have to leave with me, you know?” she joked, her eyes glistening. “You’re my patient after all”  
“Did Dame tell you to heal me?" he asked, raising his brow. It didn't seem likely, but on the other hand, she needed him alive. The fact that he was immortal didn't apply to mortal wounds and murder. And he didn't see another way for Anrika to be allowed enter his cell room freely to heal him and bring him food.   
“As a matter of fact, she did” the Eniripsa confirmed with a nod. “But even if she didn’t, I would do it myself. I just can’t watch people getting hurt”  
Joris nodded in understanding. Dame was very persistent, same as he was. She kept coming back every few hours, asking the same question over and over again.   
“You seem to matter to her a lot if she didn't kill you by now" the blunt exclamation from the young woman dragged him back from his thoughts. He shook his head in response.  
“Not me, the knowledge I possess" he corrected his face darkening. "As soon as she gets them, she'll deem me useless and gets rid of me"  
“Is that why you refuse to answer?" she asked, her eyes staring at his figure. Any normal prisoner would give up long ago, but Master Joris just kept on giving Dame the silent treatment.   
“Yes, but that’s not the only reason, and definitely not the most important” he nodded. “She wants the knowledge I cannot grant her, no matter the cost”  
“But… she's hurting you to get it" Anrika argued. "How can you put some information above your own health?"   
Joris smiled wryly as he listened to the Eniripsa's reasoning. In any other circumstances, he would have taken the same approach as she did. But this case was different. The fate of the whole World of Twelve depended on whether Dame would get her answers or not. And he definitely didn't want to risk it.  
“This knowledge she desires is too dangerous" he simply stated, sighing and staring at the ceiling from under his hood. "I cannot risk the safety of all Twelvians just to ease my pain"  
“I see...” Anrika spoke sadly. “That’s so generous of you, Master Joris” she suddenly looked up at him with the warm smile. “To put others before yourself. I don’t think I would be able to do it”  
“No one asks you to" he shook his head. "And it's certainly not generous of me. I'm just paying for my own mistakes. I should have acted differently at that time"   
He wondered about that night many times. What if he didn’t decide to go down and meet the visitor? What if he’d put a little bit more of a fight? Or didn’t ask Luis to lock the door, letting his sons come to his aid? There were so many what if’s.   
“We can’t change the past, that’s for sure” the young Eniripsa agreed with a solemn look. “And it’s not the way, to dwell on the things we could have done differently” their eyes met, his full of confusion and blame, while hers glinted with wisdom and kindness. “Whatever you did or didn’t do in the past shouldn’t be the reason why you’re pushing forward. It will only tie you up, and I think you have enough on your head already” she chuckled at the joke, before smiling with the brightest smile he’d seen her do. “So don’t fight because you’re sorry, or want to make up for your mistakes. Fight for those dear to you, those who can’t protect themselves if the worst would happen. And never forget, you’re not alone in this world. I’m sure there are people out there who would gladly share the burden with you. So don’t be afraid to ask for help, or show your weakness. Because no one is invincible, not even the centuries-old famed Master of Bonta”  
The silence that followed the speech was heavy, but not uncomfortable. Joris stared in awe at the Eniripsa. He chuckled silently, as he wondered about what has led to such proclamation. He really did sound selfish at that time. And to think the one to point it out was someone with much less life experience than he had. Life was cruel at times.   
“I'm sorry," he said, looking at the young woman. "And thank you" the silent nod and a blush on her cheeks was an answer enough.   
The abrupt rise of voices outside broke the atmosphere, and make them stare at the door in confusion.   
“What’s going-” Anrika started, but a sudden cry from, the corridor made her face turn white.  
“A breach! We have a breach!”


	8. The Rescue

The whole building was in chaos. People of all races were running back and forth the long corridors in a disorganised manner, some not quite comprehending what exactly was going on. The only thing known by all was that they had a breach. But the number or identities of the assailants were yet to be discovered.   
Alys was rushing through the halls of the hideout, using her zaaps to grant her more speed. Kerubim and Atcham were running close behind, pushing away any unfortunate guild members who attempted to stop their raid. The female Eliatrope wasn’t even paying attention to the people she zaaped by, her thoughts and senses focused only on finding the captured master within the numerous rooms and corridors of the building.   
She abruptly came to a stop, when she caught sight of two lone guards in an almost empty corridor, save for the wooden door the men were standing between. Her eyes narrowed, pondering about the reason for those two keeping their positions, while the rest of the hideout was in chaos. Whatever they were guarding, must have been of great importance, she deduced. It was either the Dofus or Joris. She internally hoped for the latter, as she motioned for the two Ecaflips behind her to quietly come closer. She tilted her head towards the door, looking at them expectantly, wishing they got the same idea as she had.   
“It’s worth the try” Kerubim agreed, eyeing the guards from behind the corner. Atcham nodded in agreement, correcting the grip on his swords, before dashing at the baffled guards. The surprise attack gave him the upper hand, as he managed to quickly silence both men. He motioned for his two companions to join him, deciding not to hide his swords yet, just in case.   
Alys took a deep breath, before swiftly pushing the door open. A high-toned female shriek deafened her the moment the wooden frame of the door hit the opposite wall.   
“Please don’t hurt me!” a terrified cry sounded from the room, confusing the female Eliatrope. She looked inside, taking a notice of a trembling figure belonging to a young Eniripsa woman, crouching on the floor with her head hidden between her arms.   
“Alys?” another voice, this time a familiar one, drew her attention to a wall behind the Eniripsa. Her eyes rounded in shock, as her eyes met with a small figure in blue.  
“Master Joris!" she cried with joy and relief, running towards him. Small tears flashed in her eyes, but she quickly dried them off. "Goddess, we've found you!"  
“Papa!” a duo of worried voices made the master look behind the Eliatrope’s back to see his two sons standing in the door, they too boring relieved expressions.   
Atcham seized the shackles that were bounding the master, before raising his sword and hitting them with one swift move. The sparks flew from the meeting of two metals, a medium-sized hole forming in the bindings. The fur-less Ecaflip clicked his tongue in annoyance, before delivering few more blows, finally breaking the iron in half, freeing his father’s hands.   
Joris flew forward, the shackles on his ankles keeping him from finding balance. Alys reacted right on time, catching the falling figure before it hit the floor.   
“Should have saved those for last" Atcham said apologetically, scratching his neck. Joris sighed but didn't say anything, letting his son take care of freeing his legs too. Instead, he switched his focus to the female Eliatrope.  
“Didn't expect to see you here, Alys," he said sincerely, wondering how exactly did the woman get to know about the situation. But given the time he was gone, he should have figured she'd get worried and start asking around.   
“I couldn’t just leave you in the hands of those brutes” she replied with a smile, before lowering her voice to whisper in his ear. “I thought I lost you” her tone saddened, eyes threatening to cry.   
“Deepest apologies” he lowered his head in shame. “Had I known...”  
“All done, Papa” Atcham called, the sound of metal breaking inclining the freedom.   
Joris nodded and stood up, his legs trembling a little under his weight. The week of imprisonment made his stand a little uncertain. Kerubim reached out his paw to him, but he rose his hand, signalling for his son to not bother.   
“By the way, Papa” the fur-less Ecaflip spoke up, gaining his father’s attention. “Who is that?” the sharp nail pointed at the still crouched Eniripsa, who mumbled under her breath.   
“A friend” Joris replied, shifting his attention to the young woman. “Anrika” he gently called out the blonde Eniripsa’s name, putting his hand on her shoulder. She twitched at the sudden gesture, but stopped trembling and rose her head to where the voice came from.  
“M-Master Joris?” she asked in confusion, seeing him standing on his own feet, rather than hanging from the shackles. She looked around, noticing other people in the room. She let out a terrified shriek, moving back to the wall. “Please don’t hurt me! I didn’t do anything wrong!” she cried.   
“It’s okay, we don’t mean any harm” Alys smiled gently at the woman, reaching out her hand. “I’m Alys, the ambassador of Eliatropes and a close friend to Master Joris”   
“A-Anrika” the Eniripsa replied with a trembling voice, cautiously reaching for the Eliatrope’s hand.   
“What are you doing here, Miss Anrika? You don't seem to belong here" Kerubim inquired, looking at the young woman.   
“I-I live here. I'm healing Dame's underlings in exchange for the place to sleep and food" she quietly replied, averting her gaze. "You probably think I'm one of them"  
“On the contrary, Miss Anrika” Alys spoke up still smiling at the Eniripsa. “You’re too kind to be taken as one of the guild members”  
“I-I swear I didn’t do anything. I only brought food to Master Joris and treated his injuries-” she suddenly stopped as she met a sight of Alys eyes, round with shock and horror.  
“Injuries?!” she cried, looking to her side, where the said person stood.   
“Nothing to worry about, Alys” the master shrugged his shoulders, brushing off the subject.  
“But Master Joris-" Anrika protested but was cut off quickly.  
“What matters now is to reclaim the Dofus from Dame and leave as soon as possible” the Bontarian master decided, swiftly changing the subject. “I can sense their presence further in the building. I advise you to start off without me, and I’ll join you as soon as I’m sure they are safe and away from Dame’s reach”  
“You don’t really think we’d let you go alone?” Atcham glared at the small master. “If they have something on you, Papa, they have to deal with all of us”  
Alys and Kerubim both nodded serious expressions on their faces. Joris was about to object when the words of Anrika sounded in his head. He smiled under his hood, before putting his hands behind his back.   
“Very well, but be especially cautious of the red-haired Rogue, Dalila” he warned. “Whatever you do, don’t let her come close. Keep her at distance at all costs”   
“I-I’m coming with you” a quiet uncertain voice called out to them, the young Eniripsa standing up.   
“It’s not a good idea, Lady Anrika” Joris shook his head at the request. “We won’t be able to keep you safe in all chaos that we’re going to run off into”  
“I’ll keep to the back” she promised determined. “Just don’t leave me here”   
The master of Bonta sighed at the stubbornness of the blonde woman. He wasn’t convinced about the idea of Anrika joining the fight. She was no fighter, she would only need protection.  
“If I stay, Dame will for sure blame me for your escape” Eniripsa reasoned, her eyes tainted with fear. “And you know how she is when she’s furious”  
“Very well. Kerubim” the small ambassador called to his son. “I appoint you to take care of Lady Anrika. You are to make sure she’s safe”  
“Got it, Papa” the white-furred Ecaflip nodded, turning to the young woman. “Don’t worry, Miss Anrika, Mister Kerubim Crepin will keep you safe at the cost of his life”  
“Please don’t say that” the Eniripsa blushed, but agreed to the arrangement.   
All things set, they started off through the corridors, Master Joris coming in the front, his full strength not quite back yet, but enough to be able to protect himself. He was closely followed by Alys and Atcham, Anrika and Kerubim closing the small group. They didn’t know where they were going, deciding to trust the small master in tracking down the Dofus. They moved swiftly and quietly, slowly progressing towards their goal. Eniripsa’s knowledge of the building helpful to some extent. She could warn them of any potential dead ends or dangerous routes, but not being able to see where exactly they were heading to, she couldn’t do much more.   
They finally came to a stop in front of the big double-sided door. Anrika seized the door with a terrified gaze.  
“Are you sure it’s here, Master Joris?” she asked, looking at the small master.   
He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of two Dofus. They were calling for him, terrified and anxious for some reason. Perhaps they could sense the purpose Dame had for them, or maybe they were uneasy with their Guardian away from them. They were in each other's close company for many centuries now. No matter the reason, the feeling was the strongest where he was standing now. The Dofus were there, just behind that door. He took a deep breath and nodded his head in response. A loud gulp was heard, as Eniripsa swallowed nervously.   
“What’s in there, Lady Anrika?” Alys asked cautiously. She noticed throughout their short time together that the young woman got easily scared of little things. This time, however, she was visibly terrified.   
“It’s… Dame’s office” she whispered, her voice shaking. “This is bad. Really, really bad. We shouldn’t do this. We should leave, while we still can. We should-”  
“I can't leave those Dofus with her, and you know that Lady Anrika" a calm but determined voice made her stop in the middle of the sentence. Her round pupils met his, small and steady. "But if you think it's dangerous, I'd ask you to wait here. We'll get you on our way out" he nodded slightly to the others, motioning for them to get ready.  
Before she could provide any kind of answer, they rushed inside, kicking the door open. She shrieked, startled by the action, and hid behind one of the door frames.   
“Ah, Master Jurgen” an all-too-familiar voice made her tense, her whole body leaning over the wall, to stop her from shaking. “I’m glad you decided to join us. We were just getting started”  
“You know well what I’m here for, Dame” a strong and collected voice of the Bontarian Master called upon the woman inside. “Give me back the Dofus”  
“I’m afraid I can’t do that” the guild’s leader tutted. Anrika could almost see her smirk, although hidden from the woman’s view.   
“It seems you're not giving me another choice" the small master sighed. The Eniripsa held up her breath, waiting for what was yet to come. Not a moment later, she heard the sounds of the fight coming from the room behind her.   
She let herself slid down the wall, sitting on the floor with her back leaning over the cold surface. Why did she have to be such a coward? Master Joris, Alys, the two Ecaflips… they were right there, risking their lives to get back what was theirs and save the world from whatever danger it was put upon by Dame. She knew what the female leader was doing was wrong: stealing, kidnapping, torturing other people to get what she wanted… She knew that all-too-well, and yet she wasn't able to just go out there and stand next to the small master to oppose Dame's reign. Tears sparkled in her eyes, and she quickly shut them, not to let them flow. She was so ashamed of herself. She gave such an encouraging and sublime speech back in the cell, but she felt they were only words. And words don't change the world, actions do, or so she believed.   
“That is enough!" a sharp cry from the office made the young Eniripsa jump to her feet in surprise. She listened carefully to the sounds on the other side of the wall, but everything fell silent. Did Master Joris and his friends lose? She gathered all her courage, to lean over the door frame to peek into the room. Everyone was standing still, not daring to move a muscle, yet she could feel the tension in the air. Her eyes wandered to the opposite wall, where Dame stood, holding both of the Dofus in her hands. She looked furious and determined to have things go her way, no matter the cost. The black and white dragon eggs glimmered a little as if terrified of what the woman was about to do.   
“Dame, you don’t want to-” Master Joris tried to reason with a rage-controlled woman, but she cut him off.  
“Don’t you DARE tell me what I want and don’t want to do, Joris Jurgen!” she spatted, her voice dripping with venom. “You move a muscle and I’ll break those eggs! If I can’t have their power, nobody will!” she cried, moving her arms further away, getting ready to smash the Dofus against each other.   
“Don't do it," the Bontarian master said calmly, his eyes stuck on the woman and the two dragon eggs in her hold. "I've seen what happens when these two powers collide. It will kill you"  
The other people in the room shuffled uncertainly, hearing the master’s words.  
“Dame, maybe we should reconsider-” Dalila started, but choked on her words as Dame looked back at her with the eyes of pure madness.   
“You tell me what to do?!” she yelled, taking a step towards the red-haired Rogue. The terrified woman tried to back down, her back hitting a wall behind her. “Nobody tells me what to do! Nobody!”   
Everything happened so fast, Anrika’s eyes barely managed to follow the movement. In the moment of anger, Dame rapidly brought the two Dofus together. Just before they collided, a small figure rushed towards the female guild leader, his hand stretched forward in a desperate attempt to stop inevitable. And then, everything turned white.


	9. Back to Bonta

Alys blinked a few times to get rid of white spots in front of her eyes. The blinding light disappeared rather quickly, but she couldn't tell the same about the ringing in her ears. She shook her head a few times, but it did little to nothing in ending the annoying feeling. She decided to let it go, for now, switching her focus at the surrounding.   
Her eyes blinked again, as she looked around the room they were in. The desk which before was standing by the far-most wall was pushed with enormous strength and somehow ended half-buried in the stone surface. The several chairs which stood next to the wooden furniture were, too, pushed aside and were lying haphazardly on the floor. All in all, the once neat and organised office now seemed to undergo a close encounter with a tornado.   
A painful groaning to the Eliatrope's side made her move her head towards the direction of the sounds. She noticed both of her Ecaflip companions pushing themselves up from the floor, trying to steady themselves on their wobbly feet. It looked like whatever hit them, take a stronger toll on the two than it did on herself. She hurried towards them, intending to aid her friends to the best of her capabilities.  
"Let me help you, Mister Crepin," she offered, raising his white-furred arm and thrusting it over her shoulder. He smiled a little at her, allowing himself to lean over the female Eliatrope.   
"Thank you, Alys," he said, as she helped him to his feet. "Did you see what hit us?"  
She shook her head in response.   
"I'm sorry. The last thing I remember is this dark-haired woman threatening to shatter the Dofus, and Master Joris-" she stopped in the middle of the sentence, as she mentioned the name of the small master. Her eyes widened in horror, as they scouted the room for any signs of her friend and hidden lover. Where was he?  
Her heart sunk, as she caught a glimpse of the familiar blue under one of the fallen chairs.   
"Master Joris!" she cried out, letting go of Kerubim's shoulder and rushing towards the lying figure.   
He wasn't moving, she noticed in terror, as she fell to her knees next to the Bontarian master, pushing the chair aside. Her eyes tried to search for any clue as to his state, but the oversized cape he always wore effectively prevented her from doing so. Her trembling hands stopped mere centimetres before his unmoving figure, afraid to not find him breathing. She held up the tears at the thought of losing him now, just after they reunited. She didn't even notice a flash of white and green which hovered over her lover.   
"He's breathing" a shaken but convinced voice reached her ears. She moved her head to see the young Eniripsa kneeling next to her, the brush at work. "He has some bruises, probably from being hit by the chair. Nothing too serious" she added, eyeing the wooden object.  
"So... he's okay?" a flush of relief flooded the female Eliatrope, as she saw Anrika nodding, her cyan eyes following the movements of the Eniripsa's brush.   
"Just unconscious" came the answer, a small smile coming from the blonde. "He's a tough one, Master Joris..."  
"Yes, he is" Alys agreed, allowing herself to breath normally when the Eniripsa confirmed there was nothing wrong with the small master.   
"Dame?" another female voice cut through the air, making Anrika jump up and let out a startled shriek. She turned around to the source of the sound, her brown eyes widening in horror.   
The red-haired Rogue was scanning the room when her gaze stopped on the two kneeling women and the still figure of Master Joris. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, as she pointed her finger at them.   
"What did you do to Dame?!" she shouted in accusation. "Where is she?!"  
"We don't know. We-" Anrika tried to explain, but was abruptly cut off by a fired shot which barely missed her cheek.   
"Where. Is. Dame?" Dalila growled through her teeth, her gun pointed at the Eniripsa. Too terrified to speak, the blonde healer only shook her head, tears sparkling in her eyes. The Rogue ground her teeth at the reply, her finger trembling on the trigger. Another shot sounded, and this time the bullet went straight for the Eniripsa's face. She just stared at it getting closer, paralysed in fear. Just moments before it hit her, a wall of cyan shot up, giving her protection.   
"Don't you dare hurt her!" Alys snarled, her Wakfu shield sparkling before her. Dalila clicked her tongue in annoyance. She didn't think twice before she fired a whole round, hitting the cyan protection with her full strength. The shield glowed and glimmered, but didn't disappear, holding in firmly.   
"Let's move!" Atcham shouted, running to the women and leaning over to pick up the small figure in blue. "We're not safe here!"   
"The Dofus!" Kerubim cried, pointing his claw at the two dragon eggs lying further away.   
"I'll get them!" Anrika offered, starting up in their direction, not paying any attention to the firing which was happening. She managed to grab one of them and reached for the other when a fire shot made her retract her hand.   
"You're not going anywhere" Dalila growled, another pistol in her hand, one pointed at the Eniripsa, while other focused on the Eliatrope behind her Wakfu shield.   
Alys' eyes darted between all of the people in the room, weighing the options. They were in a dire situation. Her shield was holding for now, but she wasn't sure for how much longer she could keep it up. She was sure the enraged Rogue will not let them leave the building, providing they manage to create enough distraction to escape from the room. Her cyan eyes stared at the unconscious figure shuffled in Atcham's arms. She ground her fist, determination overfilling her thoughts.   
She swiftly dissolved her shield, creating two medium-sized zaaps with both of her hands. Before the Rogue had any chance to react, she quickly joined hands, firing her Wakfu at the woman. As predicted, she dodged the shot, rolling away. Alys moved quickly, creating a few more portals, which swallowed Anrika, Kerubim, Atcham with Master Joris and, finally, herself.   
\- - -   
A flash of cyan blinked in the back alley, four figures appearing on the cobbled street and the fifth huddled in the arms of the fur-less Ecaflip. The blonde Eniripsa's legs buckled and she fell forward, covering her mouth with her hand.   
"Alys, we appreciate your help," Kerubim said weakly, the sickly feeling in his stomach making him want to throw up. "But next time, please, warn us you're going to zaap us out"  
"Sorry, Master Crepin" the female Eliatrope blushed in embarrassment. She kept forgetting the travel through her people's zaaps wasn't exactly safe for others. At least it was only about nausea and not something far worse.   
"We got out and that matters" Atcham cut in, his snout looking a little lighter than usual. "Now let's move. We have to get to the zaaps and leave this city as soon as possible"  
Everyone nodded and they started off through the busy streets of Brakmar. Luckily, no one paid attention to the group of two Ecaflips, an Eliatrope, an Eniripsa and an unconscious figure belonging to the Master of Bonta held by Atcham. And even if anyone did, they weren't going to stop the running company. This is how Brakmar worked: don't get involved if it's not your problem. It worked pretty well for the escapees' advantage, as they soon arrived at the main square, where the zaaps were stationed. Kerubim went on to fill in the form for them to cross the portal to Bonta, while the others stayed a little bit behind, catching their breaths after the long run.   
"I'm sorry we dragged you into this, Anrika," Alys said apologetically after a moment of silence filled only with heavy breathing. The Eniripsa looked up at the woman from where she stood, her face surprised by the sudden apology.   
"Ah, it's not your fault, Lady Alys" she denied quickly, waving her hands. "I would have probably got involved one way or another, knowing my clumsiness" she laughed nervously, scratching her neck.   
"Still, you lost your home because of us..." the female Eliatrope still tried to apologise for the trouble.   
"That place... wasn't exactly what I would call home" the Eniripsa replied truthfully, her gaze saddening. "I don't have a home"   
"I'm sorry, I didn't know-" Alys gasped, ashamed of herself.   
"We're good to go" Kerubim called out happily, waving the piece of paper while approaching the others. "Everything's in order, we can cross anytime now"   
"So... this is goodbye?" Anrika lowered her head in sadness. She didn't want to leave the small group, but they had no reason to keep her with them.   
"What are you saying, darling? Of course, you're coming with us" the white-furred Ecaflip replied in a surprised but serious tone. "Papa would have disowned us if we left you here by yourself"  
"But... I don't want to be a nuisance..." Anrika said silently, turning her head away.   
"Oh, please" the fur-less Ecaflip huffed, readjusting the hold on the still-unconscious master. "It would be much more of a nuisance explaining to Papa why didn't we take you with us"  
"But I-" the Eniripsa tried to argue, but Kerubim cut in.   
"No buts, darling. We've got plenty of rooms back in our home in Bonta. I'm sure Luis won't mind you living with us" he said, pushing the astonished healer towards the zaap.  
"You said it, brother" Atcham nodded in agreement, following the Ecaflip.   
Anrika felt silent, letting Kerubim guide her along. Was it really happening? Was she actually leaving Brakmar? Her mind felt so blank, not able to process what was happening. She mindlessly let herself be taken by the hand and walked through the surface of the portal, not even noticing the moment of travel. She only found out she left Brakmar behind her, as she felt the heat of the sun on her face and the gentle blow of the wind in her hair. She blinked a few times, staring enchanted at the landscape in front of her. Her eyes were filled with warm colours of grass, the sky, the ever-present flowers. Even the air felt different, more alive and carefree than it was back in the city she spent all of her life in, until now.   
"Welcome in Bonta" Alys smiled, standing next to the astonished Enripsa, her eyes cast upon the magnificent city further on the horizon.   
Anrika glanced at the female Eliatrope before, too, moving her gaze towards the building visible in the distance. She felt her lips curve upwards and her cheeks flushing with excitement as her mouth silently repeated the name of the city, Bonta.


	10. A Place to Hide

A quiet clearing of a throat made both women look down to the white-furred Ecaflip.  
"Not to impose but we need to move," Kerubim said with a nod of his head. Alys' gaze followed the movement and she spotted Atcham standing a little further away, Master Joris still huddled in his arms. Whatever happened back in Dragonborns' headquarters, it sure hit him hard.   
"Right" she agreed, turning towards her companions. "I was thinking. I don't know what happened back there, but it made the Dragonborns angry. They are going to follow us"  
"Which means we can't really come back to the bazaar," Atcham nodded in understanding. "Not yet, at least"  
"Exactly" the female Eliatrope confirmed.   
Anrika didn't move from the place she was standing, silently observing the group and listening to the conversation. She wanted so badly to be part of it but she knew nothing of Bonta and its surroundings. She can't be of any help to the people who helped her, so she just chose to remain silent. She sighed in disappointment as she moved her gaze back to the city in the distance. Her heart sunk as she realised she won't be seeing it anytime soon. She shouldn't have got her hopes up so soon. It wasn't the first time she did so, thinking something good was happening to her. And then it usually went downhill. She should get used to it.   
"Anrika, are you coming?" the calling on her name brought her back from the overwhelming blueness. She shook her head to get rid of the feeling, trying to look more optimistic than she actually was.   
"Right behind you, Lady Alys" she called, running up to the woman and smiling.  
"You don't have to call me that" the female Eliatrope reassured with a gentle expression, while they walked side by side. "Simply Alys would be enough"  
"I-I'll try" the Eniripsa looked away to hide a blush forming on her cheeks. Her eyes fell on the unmoving figure in the fur-less Ecaflip's arms and she felt the sickly feeling in her stomach come back. She wished she could do more to improve Master Joris' condition but her magic only worked on the body, not on the mind. She sighed again, a brooding expression on her face.   
"Are you okay, darling?" a sudden voice to her side made her jump up. She looked around frantically her eyes darting around until they finally looked down. She blinked a few times looking at the white-furred Ecaflip staring at her with worry.   
"By my grandmother's brush!" she cried holding a hand to her chest. "You startled me, Mister...?" she tilted her head, realising she didn't remember his name. Or did she even know it, to begin with?  
"Kerubim Crepin" he introduced himself with a gentle smile.   
"I'm fine, Mister Crepin" Anrika gave him a half-smile. "Nothing to worry about"  
"Please, darling" the older Ecaflip waved his paw. "I might be old, but I'm not blind. I can see there is something troubling you"  
"Troubling? Me?" the young woman laughed nervously, her finger playing with a lock of her hair. "What could possibly...?"   
He gave her a doubting look but didn't pry. He knew better than to try and push out the answers from someone he barely knew. A deep sigh made him look up at the Eniripsa, her hand falling down and eyes drooping.   
"I just... I feel I should be able to do more" she admitted, her eyes fixed on the fur-less Ecaflip walking in front of her.   
"Do more with what exactly?" Kerubim tilted his head in confusion. Anrika shrugged her shoulders.  
"I don't know. With everything, I guess" she replied in a bleak tone. "Maybe if I did a better job of treating to Master Joris' injuries he wouldn't be hurt now"  
"Correct me if I'm wrong, darling," the old Ecaflip interrupted. "But do you blame yourself for his condition?"  
"I wouldn't say 'blame'..." she shook her head in denial. "More like... be responsible for? At least to some extent"  
"Darling, you are not, and never were responsible for what happened to Papa" Kerubim reached out to hold her hand in an assuring manner. "And I know for sure he believes it's his own fault anyway"  
"His own? But-" the woman tried to argue but the Ecaflip cut her in.  
"He ran off on his own accord, did he not?" he asked with a glim in his eyes which could have been a mix of reassurance to the Eniripsa and annoyance at the small master's actions. "And seeing how he acted before everything went down, I believe he was aware of what might happen"  
"So he risked his own health and safety, even though he knew how it might end?" Anrika was confused now. How could anyone do that?  
"That's just how he is" Kerubim smiled slightly as he looked forward.   
The blonde Eniripsa pondered on the statement. She still thought she should have done more but at least she wasn't blaming herself anymore.   
"Thank you" she whispered a small smile making its way up her lips.   
The white-furred Ecaflip didn't reply, but his tail waved happily, satisfied with how the conversation ended.   
Anrika looked forward and only then she noticed they were walking through the open fields. She looked back and could only see the vague dark shapes far in the distance, suggesting they were moving away from the city. She looked ahead again, wondering where exactly were they going to, as there was nothing around.   
"Excuse me, but where are we heading to?" she dared to ask, trying not to sound too imposing. "I understand we're not visiting Bonta but there is nothing here..."  
"You're right, we're not going to the city" Alys nodded, slowing down to even herself with the Eniripsa. "We decided with Dragonborns at our tail it wouldn't be wise to hide in the city. It would only cause trouble for the guards and the innocent civilians"  
"True." the blonde agreed, her brown eyes stared into the vast field they were crossing. "But we can't hide here either, so why...?"  
"There is an abandoned farmhouse not far from here" the female Eliatrope replied, tilting her head in the direction they were heading. Anrika tried to follow the movement with her eyes but she couldn't see anything. An amused laugh made her look back at the woman in blue. "You can't see it yet, it's still too far away. But trust me, we'll get there soon enough"  
"What about food and water?" the Eniripsa asked, not really keen on the idea of spending the night, and probably more than one, in some deserted place in the middle of nowhere. "Are there any supplies we can use there?"  
"I'm not sure for I never went inside" Alys truthfully answered grabbing for her chin. "I've only stayed on the pouch, hiding from the rain"  
"I see..." Anrika murmured doubtfully. Her thoughts unconsciously went back to her bed back in Dragonborns headquarters.   
"But there is an inn close from the farmhouse" the female Eliatrope added in an encouraging tone. "I know the owner of the place, as I could always go and get us some supplies from there"  
"Are you sure they would help us?" the blonde Eniripsa questioned. "We wouldn't want to implore..."  
"The woman taking care of the inn is a very gentle and caring woman. She would never turn her back on someone in need" Alys replied confidently and smiled at the woman next to her. "Don't worry, it'll be okay"  
Anrika nodded in response and Alys sped up the pace to take place next to Atcham at the front.   
Soon enough, they could see a vague shape of a lone house, which grew bigger and clearer as they closed the distance. The front door was stuck, so Alys had to take Master Joris from the fur-less Ecaflip to let him work on making an entrance. In the end, Atcham simply broke down the wood and they stepped into the darkened building.   
The Ecaflip brothers were working on un-boarding the windows, while Alys and Anrika took a look around the house. It consisted of the main room they've found themselves in, a small kitchen and a bathroom. There were several pieces of furniture lying around but they didn't look stable enough to be of any use to the group. Anrika managed to find some blankets which weren't eaten by moths and laid them down by one of the walls.   
Alys kneeled down and gently put the still unconscious master on one of the sheets. She gently brushed his cheek as she observed his small chest rise and fall. He looked so peaceful, yet so vulnerable.  
"All done, Alys" Atcham spoke up as he neared the two woman. "Kerubim is looking around the kitchen to see if he can find anything of use"  
"Oh, I'll go look through the bathroom then" Anrika suggested jumping up to her feet. She ran off before anyone can protest or offer some help.   
Atcham's gaze shifted from the door behind which the Eniripsa disappeared to the soundly asleep figure on the floor.   
"What do you think happened back then?" Alys asked, her eyes fixed on her lover's figure. "The last thing I remember is this dark-haired woman trying to destroy the Dofus by crushing them against each other. Then nothing, until I woke up to see her gone and Master Joris unconscious close to where she was standing before"  
"Whatever happened, those Dofus were the cause" Atcham deduced wiggling his tail. "I remember Papa calling out to that woman to stop. I guess he must have known what would happen and he tried to protect her"  
"Well," Kerubim spoke up as he exited the kitchen. "I for one will be sure to ask him about a thing or two. Secret or not, he owes us some explanation"  
"Good luck with that" his brother murmured taking a deep sigh.   
Alys blinked, as the thought crossed her mind. She looked around frantically as if looking for something.   
"Atcham, Mister Crepin, what about the Dofus?" she asked in a terrified voice. The two Ecaflips tensed at the remark. True, at the time of escape they didn't really think about the dragon eggs. Only now they realised they might have left them in Brakmar.   
"I have one..." an unsure voice called out from the side. They all turned their heads in the direction, noticing Anrika standing in the doorway leading to the bathroom, an ivory-coloured egg in her arms. "I tried to  
grab them both but I got scared of being shot and-"  
"Don't fret too much, darling" Kerubim waved his paw at her. "At least they don't have both"  
"But I-" the Eniripsa tried to argue but was interrupted by the fur-less Ecaflip's tutting.   
"You worry too much, little fairy," he said. "You safely recovered one of them, so that's enough"  
"Yes... but it's broken" Anrika remarked, coming closer to show the dragon egg to the group. Truthfully, they could see some cracks and missing pieces at the top of the Dofus. Moreover, its usual gleam was absent, making the egg look void.   
"It must have broken when that woman crashed the two against each other" Kerubim stated as he examined the shell.   
Suddenly, a pained groan from behind made all of them jump up and turn around. The small figure of the Bontarian master moved, as he groggily sat up and massaged his head.  
"Papa!/Master Joris!" they cried in unison as they rushed towards the ambassador in blue. He hissed and clenched his eyes at the sudden noise.   
"Not so loud..." he asked hiding beneath his hood. Everyone mumbled quiet apologies, faces flushed with embarrassment.   
"How are you feeling, Master Joris?" Anrika asked, her trained eyes already scanning his body for anything to worry about.   
"Hurt..." he mumbled.   
"Is all-mighty Master Joris acknowledging his weakness?" Alys giggled, earning an annoyed growl in response. She blinked surprised at the sound. Did he just growl at her?  
"Can you stand, Papa?" Kerubim came closer, extending his hand to help the master up. Joris slowly nodded, pushing himself up but refusing to accept any help. The two Ecaflips exchanged grins at their foster father's stubbornness.   
He stood on wobbly legs, leaning his hand against the wall for support. He took a deep breath and slowly let go of the stone surface, managing to keep his balance.   
"I believe it's okay now-" he suddenly grimaced and grabbed his head, teeth and eyes clenching in pain. Alys was quick to react, reaching out to hold the small figure before he fell down.   
"What's happening? Where does it hurt?" Anrika was panicking, her brush in her hand. Her eyes were scanning the master's body, trying to find the source of an abrupt pain.   
Master Joris was panting and trembling, and it almost looked like something was trying to get out from the inside of his body. He was mumbling something under his breath but it was too quiet for anyone to understand what he was saying. Finally, after what felt like hours, he calmed down, breathing heavily. The sweat was dripping from his nose and chin to the floor. Alys gently patted his back, still scared by the sudden outburst.   
"Are you better now?" she questioned quietly. He slowly nodded as he breathed out deeply and rose his head.  
Everyone gasped, as he opened his eyes, the dual-coloured pupils staring at the group. He tilted his head in confusion and was just about to ask what's wrong when the blond Eniripsa swayed dangerously and fell unconscious on the floor.


	11. Double Trouble

"I'm terribly sorry!" the blonde Eniripsa shrieked, her nose almost touching the floor as she bowed in apology. "I don't know why it happened"  
"Don't worry, we're just glad you're okay" Alys waved her hand dismissively. The young woman sure gave them quite a fright collapsing like that all of the sudden. They thought something happened to her until the female Eliatrope noticed she just fainted.   
"I was just surprised. I have no idea why I passed out" Anrika blurted out apologetically. Her gaze shifted to Master Joris whose hetero-chrome eyes were hidden under his hood. It seemed he was uncomfortable with being the reason for the young Eniripsa's reaction.   
"Apologies. Seems like I've created even more problems than we had until now" he said in a dispirited voice.   
Anrika tried to argue and assure the Master of Bonta the situation wasn't his fault but no voice came out of her mouth. She just didn't know what to say to make him feel better.   
"But what exactly happened back there, Papa?" Kerubim asked. "And why do your eyes look like this?"  
"This is one of the things I've tried to prevent" Master Joris replied with a heavy sigh. "You know that the only thing that can destroy the Dofus is another Dofus, correct?" he looked at the group expectantly. The three heads nodded in confirmation, while the Eniripsa shyly shook her blond locks, cheeks flushed. "Well, you do now, Lady Anrika" he tilted his head in her direction before continuing. "When the two Dofus collide, their energies clash and create a static that affects everything that gets too close. The closer you are at the moment of collision, the more vulnerable you are to their destructive energy"  
"Does that mean... Dame is...?" Anrika asked in a strangled voice.   
"I'm afraid so" Master Joris confirmed, remorse in his tone.   
The Eniripsa covered her mouth, fighting back the tears. No matter Dame was a tyrant and she believed the violence was the key to everything, a belief which the blond woman couldn't agree with. She still helped her get off the streets and gave her a place to stay, even if there were certain conditions to it. The dark-haired woman didn't deserve to die, not like this. She whimpered in grief and sorrow, mourning over the one person in the city of villains that showed a little bit of goodwill towards an orphan child she was back then.   
The Bonta's ambassador stayed silent, allowing the young Eniripsa to express her suffering. He himself didn't feel too much saddened by the Dragonborns' leader death, although there was a hint of regret that he didn't manage to prevent it.   
Alys hugged the weeping blonde, soothingly stroking her back in a circular movement. After a few minutes, the crying ceased and the only sound that exited the mourning woman was the soft sobbing. The female Eliatrope whispered something to Anrika, to which she slowly nodded her head.   
"You can continue, Master Joris" Alys gently urged the Bontarian master to proceed with the explanations. He nodded in agreement, taking one more look at the miserable Eniripsa.   
"The moment the Dofus were broken, Grougalorasalar and Dardondakal's souls lost their protection. In the moment of need, they sought out the one place which could hold them until they can to go back to their respective Dofus" the small master explained.   
"And that is...?" Atcham asked, his eyes fixed on his foster father's figure.   
"My body" the toneless answer came. "The reason behind my heterochromia is because of both the Ivory and Ebony Dragons found shelter within it. That is also the case for me not being exactly myself at times, for which I apologise in advance"  
"Wait a moment, Papa" Kerubim cut in. "You're telling us you have not one but two dragon souls inside you and that they can make you... do things?"  
"I wouldn't refer to it as 'make me do things', Keke" Master Joris shook his head in response. "But yes, they can influence how I act to some extent"  
"That's... a lot to process" Alys admitted, scratching her neck. "Is there any way to get those souls out of you and back to their Dofus?"  
"There is, however, it's not possible for me to do it myself" the Bontarian master replied. "And we need the Dofus to make it work"  
"We only managed to get the Ivory one, Papa" Atcham spoke up, picking up the white-coloured dragon egg. "The Ebony Dofus is still with the Dragonborns"  
"Well, it's still better than nothing" Master Joris nodded in acknowledgement. "Fetch me some paper and something to write, Atch. I'll prepare a letter for the great Huppermage in Bonta. He should be able to help us"  
The fur-less Ecaflip walked away in search of some writing utensils, while the rest stayed, pondering over what they had just heard.   
"Papa, can't you just sense the Ebony Dofus and find it that way?" Kerubim questioned as he grabbed his chin. "You did that in Brakmar, so maybe it would work now too?"  
"I can't sense the Dofus but the dragon souls inside it" the small master clarified shaking his head. "And with both souls inside me, I can't pinpoint the location of the egg. At least not yet"  
"What do you mean, not yet?" Anrika spoke up for the first time since she learned about Dame's death. Her voice was still a little bit wobbly but she seemed a little bit better than moments ago.   
"While I can't sense the Dofus, Grougalorasalar can" Joris explained. "And he tends to get a little... emotionally unstable when it's near"  
The confused looks he got suggested they didn't really understand what he meant. They will, however, learn it soon enough, he was sure of that.   
Atcham came back with a piece of paper and some pencil he managed to find in the abandoned house and handed it to his foster father. The Master of Bonta scribbled a short note, folded the paper and handed it back to his son.   
"Go to Bonta and give it to Master Dormu. Tell him it is of top-most priority" he ordered, his hetero-chromic eyes staring expectantly. The fur-less Ecaflip picked up the note with a little hesitation, before tucking it into his pocket and taking his swords.   
"I'll be back as soon as I can" he promised before running back towards the city.   
Alys stood up and walked to the exit of the building, stopping at the doorframe and leaning her hand on the wood. She stared at Atcham's decreasing figure until it became merely a dark point against the yellow and green plains. Her cyan eyes glazed along the surrounding of the farmhouse before she decided to come back inside. She sat down next to Master Joris and turned her had towards him. His hood was pulled far over his head, successfully hiding his face, the only thing visible being his long nose. His head was positioned down and if the woman didn't know him well, she would have thought he was moping.   
"What are you thinking about?" she asked as she leaned closer. He didn't respond, his head still dropped down. "Master Joris?" she called out again but still didn't gain any kind of reaction. The female Eliatrope tilted her head in confusion. Was he ignoring her? If so, then for what reason?  
"What's going on?" Anrika approached the pair ceasing her examination of the medicine cabinet she'd found in the bathroom. Alys shook her head helplessly.  
"I don't know. He's not responding" she explained, her cyan eyes staring at the small figure of the Bontarian master. She could see the even rising and falling of his chest. He seemed to be unconscious but how could he maintain his sitting position, if he was?  
The young Eniripsa came closer and scanned his body with an experienced gaze. She tried gently shaking the master's shoulders but it still didn't bring any kind of reaction. She drew her brows together and frowned.  
"I can't see anything wrong with him" she pondered at the mystery. "He seems to be in some kind of trance or meditation"  
"Something's wrong with Papa?" Kerubim approached the small group, intrigued by the women's conversation.   
"Yes and no" Alys replied thoughtfully. "He seems okay physically but we can't contact him. He's just sitting here, doing nothing at all"  
"Peculiar" the white-furred Ecaflip commented scratching his chin.   
He kneeled down and stared at his foster father's lowered head. He slowly lifted his finger and moved it towards the small master's head. When it was only mere inches away, Master Joris suddenly jolted his head up and his hetero-chromic eyes stared absently right at his baffled son.  
"By Ecaflip!" he cried, falling on his back in surprise.   
The master of Bonta blinked several times before he looked around to notice two confused faces and one with a mixture of bewilderment and fright staring at him.   
"Is something wrong?" he asked with a tilt of his head.   
"You were acting strange" Alys replied still not really comprehending what had happened. "Or more like, not acting at all"  
"I deeply apologise, I must have dozed off" Master Joris bowed his head in shame, his eyes again hiding beneath the hood.   
"Dozed off?" Anrika echoed in an incredulous voice. She didn't know why but she felt the master wasn't telling the truth. But why would he lie? She shot a quick glance at Alys, who seemed to be having the same thoughts as she did.   
"Anyway, Keke" the hooded man addressed his son. "Can you, please, fill me in what happened between the fight in Brakmar and my awakening. I feel extremely uncomfortable with having such a gap in my memory"  
"Of course, Papa" Kerubim replied quickly, proceeding to lay out the said events. Alys and Anrika mostly kept silent, the prior speaking up a few times only to mention something the Ecaflip missed.   
"So, if I understood correctly, we're back on the continent of Bonta but we didn't enter the city to not cause panic if the Dragonborns' members were to follow us" dual-coloured eyes looked at the others, searching for confirmation of his understanding.  
"Yes, we decided it's better if we hide somewhere for the time being, just in case" Alys nodded.  
"This place has been long unoccupied so we won't put anyone at risk with us being here"  
"Good choice" Master Joris nodded approvingly while he scanned the surrounding. "What about supplies?"  
"We've found some blankets which we can use as temporary beds" Anrika spoke up. "There are some bandages and medicines in the bathroom which can be of use if needed. Oh, and we also have running water"  
"The kitchen is in a fairly good condition" Kerubim added with a nod. "All of the food, however, is either spoiled or too hard to try biting"  
"There is an inn nearby. We can get something to eat from there" Alys pointed out. "It's not far but we should go now if we want to make it before it closes for the night"  
"Very well" the small master acknowledged, rubbing his chin. "Lady Alys, as you are the one knowing the position of the inn, I would ask you to go and get us supplies for a few days," he asked, the said woman nodding in agreement. "Keke, please go with her. You should be able to take more if you go together"  
"Fine, but are you sure you'll be alright by yourself, Papa?" the white-furred Ecaflip questioned.   
"Just because I have two additional souls inside me, doesn't mean I'm not capable of taking care of myself" Master Joris countered, his eyes narrowing.   
"R-right" Kerubim agreed, shifting uncomfortably under his foster father's gaze. "We should go then, Lady Alys" he addressed the female Eliatrope and swiftly turned around in the direction of the exit.   
"We'll be back soon" the said woman promised, following the Ecaflip out of the building.   
Anrika listened to their footsteps becoming quieter as they moved away from the farmhouse. She shot a glance at Master Joris but looked away quickly, cheeks flushed at the thought of being all alone with her idol. She mentally scolded herself for reacting like that. It wasn't like it was the first time they were alone, so why did she suddenly feel embarrassed by the thought?   
As the young Eniripsa pondered about her feelings, the small master had his own problems to take care of. He gritted his teeth as he felt a sharp pain at the back of his mind. It felt as if someone was trying to rip him apart, pulling him in different directions. It was suffocating. He clenched his eyes and swore under his breath, frustrated with his helplessness. If only the two dragons in his body stopped trying to control him, life would be so much easier.


	12. More Trouble Ahead

Up-down. Up-down. Up-down... Cyan eyes were staring at the slow rising and falling of the blue material of Master Joris' cape. He was sleeping soundly, at least for now. She sighed and wiped her eyes to get rid of the tiredness.   
"How is he?" a quiet question sounded from behind her.   
"Asleep" she replied not adverting her gaze to look at the speaker. She felt a hand gently landing on her shoulder.   
"You should rest, Alys. You've been watching him for three hours" the white-furred tried to persuade. "There is nothing we can do now"  
"I know..." the female Eliatrope answered but didn't move from her spot, her eyes still fixated on the sleeping master. Kerubim sighed and let go.  
"At least eat something," he said before stepping away.   
She simply nodded, not providing any vocalized reply. The blue material shifted a little as Master Joris stirred but he didn't wake up. Alys' mind went back to those three hours ago when she and Kerubim came back from their journey to the inn.   
\---  
They weren't expecting the travel to and back from the friendly inn would take so much time. Nevertheless, it was four hours Alys and Kerubim wandered into the abandoned farmhouse, both struggling under the weight of supplies provided by the innkeeper.   
"You're finally back!" a cheerful voice called out as Anrika emerged from the bathroom.   
"Sorry it took so long" Alys smiled apologetically as she put the packages on the floor and stretched. "Miss Bootey, the owner of the inn, wouldn't let us leave until she was sure we have everything for spending at least few days here"  
"Food, water, some cutlery, dishes, pots and pans, decent blankets, pillows, medicines, bandages..." Kerubim listed out on his fingers.   
The Eniripsa's eyes grew wider with each item and her gaze moved the packages laying on the wooden floor. They looked enormously heavy.  
"How did you manage to bring it all back here?" she questioned, her hands almost feeling the weight and she shuddered with a thought of carrying any of the bags for even a short distance.   
"We made stops. Lots of them" the white-furred Ecaflip explained with a tired sigh. "And how's on your side?"  
"Oh, it's..." the Eniripsa stopped and looked behind her at the still figure of the Bontarian master. He was sitting by the wall on one of the blankets, his head lowered. "I don't really know how to answer that..."   
"What do you mean?" Alys' eyes widened and she, too, looked at Master Joris. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him but he was known for hiding his pain and problems. "Did something happened?"  
"No, nothing happened" the blond locks waved with the shake of the Eniripsa's head. She looked back at them, the worry still present in her eyes. "And that's the problem"  
"How can it be a problem that nothing has happened?" Kerubim rose a brow in confusion. "I would worry if something DID happen"  
"Normally I would too, Mister Crepin" Anrika nodded and moved her gaze back to the Master of Bonta. "But in this case..."  
"So what exactly did NOT happen?" the white-furred Ecaflip urged the woman to speak.   
Alys observed the unmoving figure of her lover, getting the feeling that something was terribly wrong but she couldn't quite understand why. He was so calm, the way he always used to. Sure, there were two dragon souls inside him now, which made a few things troublesome but how bad it could be?  
"He... hasn't moved since you left" Anrika finally explained, her eyes filled with worry and anxiety. "He's breathing and everything but he doesn't move at all. Nor he doesn't react to anything at all"  
"Anything?" the old Ecaflip gripped his chin. "Like what?"  
"I tried talking to him a couple of times but he doesn't reply in any way" the Eniripsa answered. "And once I've dropped a couple of plates near him, while I was moving them from one place to the other. He didn't even stir. He just sat there and did... nothing"  
"I see..." was the only thing that Kerubim could provide. He eyed his foster-father's figure for a couple of seconds before clasping his hands together, which startled both women. "Well, we'll better start unpacking if we want to manage before sundown"  
"Un... unpacking?" Anrika echoed in a surprised voice. "But what about Master Joris?"  
"We can think about it after we take care of the supplies" the Ecaflip replied, reaching out for one of the bags. "Besides, if nothing's happening to him then it's nothing to worry about. At least for now" and with that words, he picked up a few packages and disappeared into the kitchen.   
Both women exchanged confused glances. How were they supposed to just let it go if something was obviously wrong? They both cared for the small master, in different ways but also similar ones. And they both thought it was unfaithful, for them to just pretend everything is alright.   
Anrika was the first one to move, approaching the packages containing various medicines and medical equipment. She moved them towards one of the walls and sat down, deciding to see what did they managed to get. Alys, on the other hand, sat down on the blankets near Master Joris, her cyan eyes staring at his figure. What was going on? How could he not move for the past four hours? Could it be connected to having two dragon souls inside his body? Was he restraining them? Were they trying to get the control, and the only way to stop them was to get into a hibernate-like state? Or maybe he was just asleep...? But who could sleep for 4 hours in a sitting position, without moving at all?   
There were just so many questions swirling around her head. She was getting dizzy, the amount of unknown suffocating her. The female Eliatrope shook her head. No, she had to stay focused. She had to figure out, what's happening. She just had no idea, how. Not yet, at least.   
Suddenly, her ears picked out a soft sound, like a whisper. She looked at Master Joris but he was sitting unmovingly, his head dropped down and eyes closed. There doesn't seem to be anything different about him. So what did she just hear? She turned her head towards the opposite wall, where the Eniripsa was sitting. She had taken out the contents of the bags and laid them out before her, murmuring something under her breath while sorting out the items into different categories. Alys listened to her murmur and shook her head. It wasn't the sound she heard. Her eyes moved towards the door leading to the kitchen, where the white-furred Ecaflip was trying to make sense of the food supplies and kitchen utensils they were given by the innkeeper. She could hear him shuffle around the room but no other sound came out.   
I must have misheard something, she decided with a sigh. All of this situation for the past days have really tired her out. No wonder she started to hear things. And then she heard it again, this time a little bit louder. It came from behind her, from where Master Joris was sitting. She turned abruptly and stared at him. So it was him after all? Was he awake?  
"Master Joris...?" she called out in an unsure voice. There was a silence again.   
"What's going on?" Anrika asked from her side of the room. She paused the sorting when she heard the female Eliatrope say the master's name. "Did something happen?"  
"I'm... not sure..." Alys replied, her eyes staring at the small figure. "I think I heard something but-"  
She stopped in the middle of the sentence when she noticed his brows draw together a little. His mouth opened just a little, and a whisper came out, too quiet for her to understand what was said.   
"Master Joris?" she called out again, moving closer. "What's going on?"  
The murmur that came in response was a little louder but still incomprehensible. Alys barely noticed Anrika moving from her spot and coming closer, her interest piqued by the situation. The young Eniripsa crouched next to the female Eliatrope and watched the small master.   
"What is he saying?" she asked, not letting her eyes miss any of the movements. She was trying to decipher the words from his lips but the darkness of his hood was definitely not helping.   
"I don't know. It's too quiet to understand" the woman in blue responded. "Can he be sleep-talking?"  
"We don't even know if he's sleeping" Anrika replied with a shrug. "It's all too mysterious"  
'...egg...away..." the voice grew loud enough to hear some of the words now. The two woman looked at each other.  
"Egg... is he talking about the Dofus?" Anrika asked.   
"Probably" Alys nodded and stole a glance at the ivory-coloured egg lying next to the master. "But which one?"  
"...not good...too long...loose power...consequences..." the Eniripsa and the Eliatrope were trying hard now to understand what was being said. It was extremely hard, however, given the quiet voice and the cut sentences.   
"What consequences?" the brown-eyed woman mouthed but was only met with a shake of the head.  
"...hold on...longer...hard...give control...impossible..." the murmur continued but the two woman gave up on listening. It was impossible to understand with so many words missing.  
"It sounds like listening to a conversation through a thick wall when you can hear only parts of it" Anrika commented with a tired sigh.   
"A conversation?" Alys tilted her head in confusion. The Eniripsa nodded.  
"Didn't you notice the tone of his voice changed a little between some of the words? As if there were more than one person talking" she explained, to which the Eliatrope shook her head. She was too focused on listening to the words she didn't pick out the difference in the tone.   
"Could it be he's talking to the dragons?" Alys wondered and looked at the other woman for confirmation. It looked like she came to the same conclusion, as she nodded in reply.   
"That's possible" she stole a glance at the leaned down figure still murmuring under his breath. "They were complaining about the egg being away, so they probably meant the Ebony Dofus. There was  
also something about something being too long and loosing powers, so maybe the dragons lose powers if they're away from their Dofus for too long"  
"From what Master Joris was saying, the Ebony Dragon lived inside his body for many years before it came back to its egg. And he still had his power after all that time" Alys remembered the story she heard from the small master.   
"So is it Master Joris who would lose power if the dragons are inside his body for too long?" Anrika pondered on the thought but shook her head. "No, that's impossible. He didn't have any problems before, didn't he?"  
"No, but that time it was only one dragon, not two of them" Alys pointed out.   
"So it still might mean either the dragons or Master Joris" the Eniripsa concluded. "They also mentioned some consequences, which might be connected to losing powers"  
"And there was a quarrel about giving up control" the Eliatrope reminded. "I assume it's Master Joris who has the control now and the dragons want him to give that up. But what for?"  
"Argh! This is so frustrating!" Anrika growled and fell to the floor, staring at the ceiling. "It doesn't make any sense, no matter if we can hear what he's saying or not"  
Alys smiled a little but didn't respond. She, too, was discouraged by the situation but she wasn't the kind to get so worked out about it. Guess, everything she went through with her nightmares and the search for her brother made her act with a little more reserve.   
Suddenly, the murmurs stopped and a powerful gust of wind caught both women by surprise. They heard a swish, then a crash and a surprised yelp coming from the kitchen. They opened their eyes and noticed the spot occupied by Master Joris just moments ago empty.  
"By Ecaflip, do you want to give me a heart attack, Papa?!" Kerubim yelled in annoyance.   
Both Alys and Anrika rose to their feet and rushed to the other room. Kerubim was standing near the shelves, a broken plate by his feet. He was holding his shirt where his heart was and panting heavily, his eyes showing a mixture of terror and anger. His white fur was standing up. Master Joris was standing in the centre of the kitchen, his back to the entrance where the women stood.   
"What...?" he asked, his voice confused and lost. He looked around, as if not really comprehending where he was and how did he get here.  
"You rushed in here all of the sudden and mumbled something completely incomprehensible!" Kerubim called in an accusatory tone. "I saw my life flash before my eyes, you know?!"   
"I...did...?" the dual-coloured eyes stared into the emptiness, as the master tried to recall the events. "I don't..."  
"Master Joris, are you okay?" Anrika asked. He turned around and stared at her for a moment as if he didn't recognise her. He blinked and the look changed to tired one.  
"I... I think I'm going to lie down..." he said and walked out of the kitchen. They heard a shuffle of the blankets and then a silence.   
"Can someone, please, tell me what's going on?" Kerubim questioned, looking at both women expectantly.   
"We don't really know..." Alys replied truthfully. "One moment he was sitting there and acting out parts of the conversation with the dragons, and next he dashed to the kitchen"  
"The conversation with the dragons?" the white-furred Ecaflip gave her a confused look.   
"At least that's what it sounded like" Anrika explained. Kerubim sighed and scratched his neck.  
"As if we didn't have enough trouble" he murmured angrily. "Now he's going crazy"  
"I... think I'll go to him..." the female Eliatrope mumbled before rushing out of the room.   
She couldn't bear the thought of Master Joris going crazy. He did say he might start acting... different, but crazy? It's impossible. It's Master Joris after all. He can't go crazy... can he? She stared at his small figure, partly hidden under the blanket, his chest moving slowly up and down. How many times would she see him this weak and vulnerable before it's finally over? She sat down next to him and pulled her knees to her chest. She wasn't used to this kind of situation. It was usually the other way around. She was weak and in need of help, and he was there to provide his assistance. She sighed as she laid her head on her knees. I wish it would be all over soon, she thought.


	13. Dragons Within

Joris sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed. He tried to concentrate on his breathing and clear his mind. He heard voices shouting in the distance and furrowed his brow but didn't react in any other way. He visualised a small pond in the middle of the forest, its crystal water and quiet surrounding. He let out a relaxed breath. Suddenly, something hot shot right past him and his vision crumbled. His eyes shot open and he glared with fury on the two Dragons before him.  
"Can you two stop your bickering?" he asked angrily staring at the two creatures.   
The Dragons stopped fighting with each other and moved their gazes at the small master.   
"Well excuse me," said the black Dragon, puffing out some smoke from his nostrils. "but how do you expect me to remain calm when I am so openly offended?"  
"Oh please," the white Dragon rolled his eyes at the comment. "All I did was state the truth"  
Joris sighed heavily and massaged his temples before looking up at the Dragons again.  
"What is it about THIS time?" he asked, trying his best to compose himself.   
"We were only talking-" the white Dragon started.  
"You mean, fighting" the small master pointed out, to which both Dragons pouted.   
"TALKING about who should be in the control" the Ivory Dragon finished, stressing out the word 'talking'. "And obviously, it should be me, since I'm more level-headed than this barbarian right here"  
"Barbarian?!" the Ebony Dragon puffed out more smoke. "I'm not the one who almost burned Joris to crisps!"  
"Well, I wouldn't burn him if you hadn't moved" the other Dragon replied as if stating the obvious.  
"And let myself be burned? No thanks" came the angered answer.   
Joris closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before speaking out.   
"I already told you, neither of you is taking control," he said as calmly as he could. "I think I made myself clear on that matter"  
"Yes, but do you really expect us to sit and do nothing while you get all the fun?" the black Dragon asked.   
Joris rose a brow at the question but decided not to pry. He would only exhaust himself more by trying to reason with either of the Dragons. It was hard enough to keep them at bay as it is. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if any of them managed to get in control. At least they didn't figure out they could work together.  
"I'm going to ignore that last comment," he said, closing his eyes. "I'm going to meditate now, so if you still want to fight, go somewhere else"  
"Like where? It's not like we can leave" the black Dragon argued.  
"All the more reason to be quiet. If you don't want to get on my bad side, that is" Joris replied with a smirk.   
He heard some grumbling from the Dragons but apart from that they didn't argue more. He smiled a little bit and again called out for the image of the pond.   
\---  
Joris opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. They were still in the abandoned farmhouse, that much didn't change. He felt a weight on his chest and he looked down to notice Alys dozing off next to him, her hands laid on his chest. He smiled at the sight and used his hand to move a few strands of blond hair from her sleeping face. She must have been sitting by his sight and fell asleep while waiting for him to wake up. Gently, as to not wake up the woman, he lifted her hands and moved out from his sleeping space. He, then, took one of the blankets and spread it over her shoulders. Alys didn't stir at all, suggesting she was in a deep sleep. Deciding to let her rest, Joris quietly made his way towards the kitchen, careful not to wake up neither Kerubim nor Lady Anrika who were also sleeping on the blankets.   
He entered the room and took a moment to locate a glass which he then filled with water. The short glimpse outside told him it was the middle of the night already. He took the glass with him and went outside, deciding to take a small stroll to clear his head. There was so much that happened in the last hours and he felt mentally exhausted. He took small sips of water as he gazed at the night sky. He wondered if Atcham made it back safely to the city and contacted Master Dormu already. Even if he did, they probably won't be here until the evening the next day, as the Huppermage couldn't travel as fast as his son could.   
Quiet footsteps from behind alerted him of someone approaching. The footsteps were steady so he assumed it was probably one of the people from the house. He didn't look at who it was, however, deciding to keep staring at the stars. The other person finally came to a stop next to the small master, the figure looming over him.   
"Can't sleep, Master Joris?" the female voice asked. Joris smiled at the familiar voice.  
"I could say the same about you, Lady Alys" he replied and received a light chuckle in response.   
"I only woke up because you weren't there" the Eliatrope explained, looking down on him.   
"Apologies. I didn't mean to wake you up with my moving around" he bowed his head. "You deserve to rest"  
"Don't worry about it" she shook her head at his apology. She moved her gaze to the sky, observing the stars. She smiled lightly as she noticed the familiar constellation, the first one she learned by name. "How are you doing?"  
"Good" came the reply.   
The female Eliatrope sighed and looked back at the small master.   
"I can tell you're lying," she said.   
He turned his head and their eyes met. He could see the worry in her cyan eyes. He didn't mean to make her worry about him. It should be another way around. Disappointed with himself, he let his head drop. He tensed a little when he was suddenly pulled into an embrace.   
"I won't push you to tell me what's wrong but I just want you to know I'm here" she whispered to his ear. He nodded and lifted his hands to circle around her shoulders.  
"I know, thank you" he whispered back.  
They let go of each other and Alys sat down on the grass, patting the space next to her. Joris gave her a quizzical look.  
"We barely have any time to ourselves lately" she replied with a smile and looked up to the stars. "And it's been a while since our last stargazing"   
Joris smiled underneath his hood and sat down beside the female Eliatrope. They both stared on the sky above their heads, neither saying anything not to disturb the silence. At some point, Alys' fingers found Joris' ones and they locked together.   
"The Dragons..." Joris said finally after a while of silence. Alys moved her gaze to look at him but didn't say anything. "They are getting harder and harder to control"  
"Is that why you spend so much time motionless?" the blue ambassador questioned, to which she gained a nod.  
"I'm meditating" Joris explained. "Through meditation, I can communicate with the Dragons inside me and keep them from gaining control. Or more like, from fighting with each other"   
"They don't like each other?" Alys asked with a confused face.   
"It's not about that" the small master shook his head and an amused smile made his way to his lips. "It's more like a quarrel between two siblings over who's better, stronger, more athletic..."  
"If they're fighting between themselves, I don't see why it's a problem to you" the female Eliatrope replied.   
"It is the same thing as if Yugo and Adamai fought in your room back in Emelka. They are keeping it between themselves but you have to be there to make sure they don't break anything" Joris elaborated. Alys nodded in understanding.   
"And the difference is, I could have just make the boys go somewhere else but the Dragons have nowhere to go until we find a way to move them back to their Dofus," she said and master Joris nodded approvingly.   
"I can keep them at bay for now but my strength is not limitless and they are not giving me much time to rest" the small master sighed and only now Alys saw how exhausted he looked. He noticed her concern and smiled a little. "Don't worry, it's not anything you can help me with. Besides, Atcham should be back with Master Dormu somewhere around tomorrow evening, and then we can at least move the Ivory Dragon back to its Dofus"  
"I know... I just hope I could do more to help you" Alys moved her knees towards her chest and stared into the distance.   
"I appreciate the gesture nevertheless" Joris put his hand on hers and stood up. "Now, I think we should go back and get some more sleep"  
Alys nodded and silently followed Joris back inside the house. Neither noticed a shadow observing them from the distance. The hidden person grinned widely and produced a small giggle.   
"Dalila would be very pleased by this info" they muttered under their breath. They stayed a moment, waiting for the movement inside the building to cease, before turning around and disappearing into the night.


	14. Hope and Despair

Alys woke up to the pleasant smell of breakfast getting ready. She yawned and rubbed her eyes to get rid of the drowsiness. Her eyes fell on the small figure of the Bontarian Master, sitting cross-legged by the opposite wall. His head was dropped down and he seemed to be asleep. He's meditating, Alys reminded herself, the memory of the night-time conversation appearing in her mind.   
"Ah, Lady Alys, you're awake" a cheerful voice called out from the entrance to the kitchen.   
Alys moved her head and smiled at the young Eniripsa.   
"I told you, Alys is enough" she reminded, to which Anrika blushed fiercely and looked down.  
"I'm sorry, it's hard to get used to it" she apologized. "Back in Brakmar, I didn't use to call anyone by their names"  
"Don't worry, you'll get it soon" the female Eliatrope smiled encouragingly and pushed herself up. "Do you need help with preparing the breakfast?"  
"Ah, no. Me and Mister Crepin are just finishing" Anrika replied, shaking her head. "We can eat any moment now"  
"And what about...?" cyan eyes moved to look at the small figure by the wall.   
"Master Joris left a note he ate already and is not to be disturbed unless it's very important" the blonde Eniripsa explained as she moved to their sleeping space and collected the blankets.   
She folded them nicely and put in the neat pile, creating a place to eat. She picked up a small table and some cushions, which she organised so that there were four sitting spaces, in case Master Joris decided to join them after all. She then flew back to the kitchen and reappeared with a set of plates and cups. Kerubim entered the main room soon after, carrying a platter with scrambled eggs with vegetables.   
"Let me help you, Mister Crepin" Alys offered, moving towards the elderly Ecaflip.   
"Don't worry, my dear. Anrika here is help enough" he put the platter on a small table. "We've got this"  
The female Eliatrope shrugged and opted to move towards the bathroom. She reappeared soon after, refreshed and ready to face the day. The breakfast table was set already and Anrika was just pouring the freshly-made tea into the cups.  
"Do you want some tea, La- Alys?" she asked as she noticed the woman coming towards them.  
"Thank you" she smiled in return and made herself comfortable on the cushion next to Kerubim. "This smells absolutely marvellous"   
"And I assure you, it tastes as good as it smells" the white-furred Ecaflip passed her a plate with a portion of scrambled eggs. "Our dear Anrika is a real enchantress in the kitchen"  
"I'm not that good," the said Eniripsa's cheeks reddened and she looked down on her knees.  
"Oh, hush, darling. My palate is quite demanding so you can call me a connoisseur" Kerubim waved his paw, silencing the bespectacled woman.  
Alys chuckled at the exchange and dug in. Her eyes sparkled, as she tried the food.  
"This is really good, Anrika" she exclaimed, Kerubim nodded in agreement.  
"Told you so, Alys. I know a talent when I see it" he said. "Or taste it, in that matter" he winked at the Eniripsa, who blushed even more.   
"You're too kind, Mister Crepin" she mumbled.  
"If you don't believe me, we can always ask Papa for his opinion" the white-furred Ecaflip suggested.   
"I- we don't have to disturb Master Joris for something as trivial as food" Anrika waved her hands, blushing fiercely. Alys and Kerubim both laughed at the Eniripsa's reaction.   
"Don't worry, Anrika. Mister Crepin is only joking" Alys reassured and ate some more of her food. "But he does have a point, you have real culinary talent"  
"When this whole case is over, I count on you to cook more amazing things for us" Kerubim winked and proceeded to eat.   
"Don't push all of it on her, Mister Crepin" Alys playfully jabbed the Ecaflip under the ribs, to which he only laughed some more.   
Anrika observed the exchange and smiled a little. Maybe she'd found home, after all.   
After they finished eating, Alys and Anrika went back to the kitchen to clean the dishes, while Kerubim decided to take a small stroll. The women quickly washed the dishes and moved to the main room. Alys was talking about Eliatropes and Anrika was deeply interested in the new race. She asked many questions and the blue ambassador tried her best to answer them as best as she could.   
She was just explaining how her portals work when they heard a quiet moan from the other side of the room. They both fell silent and looked at the Master of Bonta with concerned looks. It seemed, however, as if nothing has changed and they turned back to each other. Then, they heard the sound again, this time louder. Their heads turned to the small master. He was still sitting in the same position as he did before but there seemed to be something wrong. His brows were furrowed, he gritted his teeth and there was a sweat forming on his forehead.   
"What's going on?" Alys questioned as they neared the small figure. Anrika came closer and inspected him carefully.  
"I don't know" she shook her head in defeat. "He seems to be in some pain but I can't see what's causing it"  
Master Joris groaned again. Alys approached him cautiously and put her hand on his shoulder.  
"Master Joris?" she called quietly.   
There was no response whatsoever but she was determined to learn what's going on. Was it the Dragons? Were they trying to take control? Joris told her last night they were getting harder to control but was it really it? She couldn't explain why but she could tell there was more to what was happening to the small master.   
"Master Joris, what's happening?" she asked again, shaking his body a little.   
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and, for a moment, the women could see a mixture of madness and fury in the double-coloured pupils. He blinked quickly and the sight was gone as if it never was there in the first place.  
"Master Joris?" this time it was Anrika who called his name. His eyes moved slowly to her concerned face. "Are you okay?"  
He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, then opened them again.   
"I would love to say yes but that would pose a threat to all of you" he replied in a grave tone. "Grougalorasalar is getting anxious"  
"What does that mean?" the female Eliatrope asked, her eyes filled with worry. Were they in danger? Was Master Joris losing control?  
"The Dofus-" he started to explain when he suddenly buckled forward and let out a quick cry of pain. His breathing became rapid and he closed his eyes shut.   
"Master Joris!" the two women cried out, terrified by his behaviour. Anrika's eyes jumped all over his small body, trying to find the cause of his state. She gritted her teeth in frustration, failing to see anything.   
"He said something about the Dofus" Alys said in a worried tone as she looked at his beloved curling up in pain. She hoped she could do something to ease it but she knew she had no way to do it.   
"But the Dofus was with him the whole time!" Anrika reasoned, pointing at the ivory-coloured egg at the blanket nearby. "If that was the cause, it would happen earlier"  
"Maybe he means-" Alys didn't manage to finish, as Joris let out a more pained cry, his whole body tensed up. The women stared in shock, as his skin stretched at his abdomen. It almost looked like something was trying to get out from the inside.   
"The Ebony... Dofus..." Joris mumbled between sharp breaths. "Too close... can't..."  
His words were cut short by the sudden explosion at the front door. Alys managed to create her Wakfu shield just in time. Both women starred in horror at the figure that emerged from the dust. Her red locks flew down from her head, emerald eyes shining with pure madness.   
"Found you~" she sing-songed as her gaze stopped at the two women and the curled-up figure on the floor. She licked her lips and grinned. "Now, let's get started, shall we?"


	15. Out of the Frying Pan...

The cyan shield glimmered amongst all the dust and broken wood. Alys scanned the room, searching for any escape routes they could use to get outside. To her dissatisfaction, the members of Dragonborns covered all possible exits, leaving them at their mercy. Her gaze fell to the small body of Master Joris curled up on the floor. Anrika was close by, looking at her with terrified eyes. Alys weighed her options. They had no chance in this cramped space with enemies surrounding them. Her shield could protect them from only one direction. Master Joris was in no condition to fight and Anrika had no experience whatsoever. She shot a glance at the two before deciding.  
"I'm going to teleport us outside" she whispered, barely moving her mouth so that the enemy didn't know what she was saying.  
"But Master Joris-" Anrika tried to argue but Alys shook her head slightly.  
"I know but we have no other choice. I can't protect us here" she explained quickly. "We have to move somewhere more secure"  
A reluctant nod was the answer she was waiting for. She let go of her shield and in a matter of seconds created two zaaps which took her, Anrika and Master Joris outside. Good thing she didn't spend the whole time inside, as she could quickly figure out the spot where they can defend best, given the circumstances. She emerged from the zaap short after Anrika and Master Joris, both not looking so well. She raised her shield once again, just in time for the barrel of shots hitting the surface.  
"You thought I will not recognise your trick?" Dalila asked, her gun pointed at the shield. "You can't escape, not before I get my revenge!"  
"Escape wasn't my plan" Alys countered. "Only moving to a more protected location"  
"You can't keep up that shield forever, blondie!" the Rogue shouted, looking back at her comrades. "Attack, idiots! I want that shield down!"  
The bandits obeyed the order and the whole barrage of shots flew towards the cyan shield. Alys braced herself for the impact, determined to keep the shield up as long as it is possible. Few of the shots went past the shield, grazing her cheek and legs. She winced at the pain but didn't back down.  
"Lady Alys!" Anrika cried out, taking notice of her wounds.  
"Don't worry, they're just minor scratches" the female Eliatrope reassured with a slight smile. "How is Master Joris?"  
"I'm... fine..." a strained answer came. He uncurled slowly and tried to sit up, his whole body tensed in an attempt to hold up.  
"Don't say it looking like you're just about to fall" Alys pouted but smiled. If he was trying to act tough then it was okay. At least for now.  
"The Ebony Dofus... we must... get it..." he explained between breaths and chuckled. "The best time... to forget my mullet"  
"We have to figure out something else" Alys shook her head. "You're in no condition to fight and-"  
"My speed didn't change" Joris cut in steadying his breath and standing up. His legs trembled a little but he didn't fall. "I can drive their attention while you grab that Dofus"  
"But won't it make your condition worse?" Anrika questioned in a worried tone. "You said the Dragon gets more anxious the closer you are to the Dofus"  
"Only if it's in possession of someone else" the small master explained. "If any of you will get it, it will be alright"  
"But how do we know they will, indeed, move your attention to you?" Alys rose a brew, uncertain about the plan. "I can't get the Dofus if I have to protect us from getting shot at"  
Joris grabbed his chin and pondered on the thought.  
"Can you create a zaap while still holding the shield?" he asked, eyeing Dalila and the Dofus she was holding.  
"Only a small one, not enough for anyone to get through" the female Eliatrope confirmed curiously.  
"We don't need someone to go through it" he explained. "Only to grab something on the other side"  
"That... might work" Alys nodded, moving her gaze at the red-haired Rogue. She was holding on to the Dofus, suspecting nothing.  
"Good. Make sure to get the timing right" Master Joris warned. "We only have one shot at this"  
And then, without another word, he ran off at top speed in the direction of the bandits. For a few moments, both women stared in shock as he lowered the numbers, rushing from one place to another and knocking down the unsuspecting opponents. In a matter of minutes, over half of them were lying on the ground, unconscious.  
"Amazing..." Anrika whispered, her eyes jumping across the field, trying to follow the small master's movement. "He managed to do all that with only speed and bare hands"  
"If he could only fight when having his weapon on him, he wouldn't have come as far" Alys grinned watching the chaos between the enemy ranks.  
"That's true but still..." the Eniripsa just couldn't believe her eyes.  
Suddenly, a single shot caught the running master mid-movement. With no time to evade, it hit its target and the small body flew a few meters back before stopping.  
"You idiots!" Dalila shouted in anger, looking around her comrades. Only a small number of them were still standing and they looked exhausted. "You let yourself be defeated by a single man?! Laughable!" she snorted with disgust and reloaded her gun, her eyes stuck on Master Joris. "Let me show you how it is done" she proclaimed before throwing the Dofus in the air.  
The bandit standing closest panicked and ran forward, attempting to catch the falling egg. He never managed to. Before he came close enough, a single zaap appeared right under the Dofus and it fell right in. Dalila heard the sound and her head turned towards it but she was too late. Another portal appeared above Anrika. The Eniripsa shrieked when the egg fell right into her arms.  
"You...!" Dalila was moving her gaze between the two women and the small figure standing just a few meters before her. "How DARE you steal from me?!"  
"This Dofus was never yours, to begin with," Master Joris replied calmly as he steadied his posture. It could be seen that his strength was coming back, once the egg was safely secured. "I merely took back what was rightfully mine"  
"You... you'll pay for this!" Dalila cried and fired. The shot was more powerful than anything they faced so far. Joris' eyes widened as he saw it nearing its target.  
"Alys!" he shouted as he started towards the two women.  
He was mere centimetres away when the shot hit and the powerful explosion threw him back. He starred in horror at the remnants of the wall they were hiding near and the flames that engulfed the area around it. He saw unmoving bodies, Alys spread protectively across Anrika, the Ebody Dofus still in her limp arms. His vision blurred with tears of anger, as he moved his head towards the cause of all this. And then... everything went black.  
\---  
Dalila had mere seconds to react before she was hit with enormous strength. She flew backwards and felt her back break the wooden planks of the house. She coughed and felt the air coming back to her lungs. Before she could get up, she was attacked again, her opponent giving her little to no time to defend. Her body slammed into the kitchen table and she fell to the floor, broken furniture underneath. A small figure threw itself into her, pushing the air out of her lungs with a single hit. She gasped and tried to reach for her gun which fell a little to her right during all the commotion. A hand reached for her throat and closed on it, cutting out the air. Her eyes stared in horror at her attacker. His heterochromatic eyes were blank but, at the same time, filled with pure rage. She whimpered and tried to get rid of the hand but her vision started to get blurry. Her right hand started to search wildly for something, anything to help her. Her fingers finally felt her gun. She grabbed it and shot, not bothering to aim. A grab on her throat loosened and she frantically gasped for air.  
Her emerald eyes stared at the floor through splayed fingers. How did it come to this? She was the best fighter in her guild, even in the whole Brakmar. She was second-best when Dame was still alive but with her gone, the position was up for grabs. Yet, why was she being beaten so hard by no other but thousands-old midget? She should be better than this! She shouldn't be sitting on the floor, hands trembling and eyes round in fear!  
She heard a quiet murmur and her eyes darted in the direction of the sound. There he was, famed master, believed to live for thousands of years and growing stronger with each passing decade. His face was hidden beneath his hood, head dropped and hands clenched into fists. His figure was glowing with a black-and-white aura which gave out the unsettling feeling. In normal circumstances, Dalila would make sure to stay as far as possible from this person, if only because of the feeling he made her feel. But these, by any means, were no normal circumstances. She came here, to this desolate house in the continent of Bonta, with a purpose of avenging her master. The one she pledged her loyalty these many years ago. And the one who was taken away from her by no other than the person standing in front of her.  
Dalila scrambled to her feet and faced her opponent. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and smirked.  
"Not bad, midget" she called out menacingly, although the voice inside her head kept screaming for her to run. This was no time for running, she decided. "It's been some time since I had to fight for real"  
There was no clear answer, apart from the constant murmur. She snorted with annoyance and clenched her gun.  
"What are you whispering under your breath, midget?!" she shouted. "Too scared to say it to my face?!"  
The murmur stopped abruptly and Dalila blinked in confusion. A chill went down her spine at the sudden silence. Neither of them moved and she cautiously observed the small figure for any movement. He murmured something again and the Rogue felt a vein popping on the back of her head.  
"If you want to say something, say it so I can hear you!" she yelled with frustration. His head shot up, dual-coloured eyes staring right into her.  
"You hurt them," he said quietly but loud enough for her to hear. She shivered at the tone of his voice. It sounded almost... inhuman. "You hurt them and now you're going to pay!"  
She shot. With a single step back, he dodged the attack and it hit the wall behind him. He took a step forward and she shot again and again and again. With every shot, she was backing further towards the wall, while he kept on gaining speed with every bullet he dodged. Her back hit the wooden planks and her eyes darted to her side in desperation.  
She suddenly felt a gush of wind and he was right in front of her. Her mouth moved in a silent plea before his fist pummelled into her stomach. She gasped and felt herself flying through the wall back to the outside. Before she managed to collect herself, he was back on her, a barrage of punches and kicks attacking her from every direction and at an enormous speed. She cried out in pain, not able to defend herself.


	16. ... But It Pours

Alys felt as if she was submerged in very deep water. Her vision was blurred and the sounds were muffled. She thought she saw a hint of blue at the edge of her vision but she couldn't be sure. Her whole body hurt and there was a burning sensation in her lungs. She blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the white spots before her eyes. She felt someone shaking her gently and a familiar voice calling out her name.   
"-lys, Alys, can you hear me?" there was some deep concern in the tone but she couldn't understand why. Was she hurt? She must be, seeing how her whole body felt. But what had exactly happened?   
"Lady Alys, please wake up!" another voice sounded, trembling and terrified. As if the person speaking was crying.   
I am awake, the female Eliatrope tried to say but the only thing that came out was the pained moan. She heard gasps of relief and tried to move to see who was talking to her.   
"Ah, don't move, Lady Alys" the feminine voice called out and she chuckled lightly.   
"I told you... to call me... Alys..." she managed to say between her breaths. She moved nevertheless and turned to her back. She saw both Anrika and Kerubim looking down on her with their faces filled with relief.   
"How are you feeling, darling?" the white-furred Ecaflip asked as his eyes scanned her bruised body.   
"I felt worse" she replied.   
A sudden outburst of coughing caught her unprepared and she struggled to breathe. Anrika reacted fast, making her sit up and gently drawing circles around her back. She stopped coughing after some time and smiled gratefully at the Eniripsa.   
"I'll try to heal as much as I can for the time being" she declared, reaching for her brush and moving it up and down the blue ambassador's body.  
Alys felt a reliving power making its way through her body, easing the pain. She focused her gaze on the white-furred Ecaflip in front of her.  
"What happened?" she asked with a worried look. Judging by her injuries, there was a fight. Were they attacked? Her head throbbed as she tried to remember what has happened before she woke up.   
"Dalila and the other Dragonborns came while I was taking a stroll around the fields" Kerubim explained caressing his fur. "I managed to hide in one of the bushes so they didn't see me. They attacked you and you were forced to teleport all three of you outside"  
"Shortly after that, Master Joris calmed down and came up with a plan to take the Dofus from Dalila" Anrika cut in, still treating to Alys' wounds. "He rushed out from behind your shield and took down more than half of the guild members before Dalila stepped up. It was amazing! I've never seen someone to move at such speed. My eyes couldn't follow his movements, and I have to tell you, they can move pretty fast, as I have to be able to quickly locate the injuries"  
A silence occurred after the outburst, both Alys and Kerubim staring with wide eyes at the young Eniripsa. She blinked a few times before blushing furiously and hiding her face in her hands. Alys chuckled at the sight.  
"That's true, Papa can move at a very high speed" Kerubim nodded as he managed to compose himself. "I think he once told me, it has something to do with him hosting the Ebony Dragon for 10 years"  
"A-anyway" Anrika coughed, a slight blush still visible on her cheeks. "When Dalila let go of the Dofus to face Master Joris, you quickly teleported it to me. I don't really know what happened next, however. All I remember is a huge explosion and an agonizing pain"  
"Dalila was furious you managed to get a hold of the Dofus" the white-furred Ecaflip filled in. "She fired the most powerful shot I have ever seen in your direction. Your shield shattered almost immediately, and the attack blew up part of the building"  
"So that's what happened..." Alys nodded, taking in the information.   
"I rushed to your side shortly after. I was afraid of the worst" a visible shudder went through the Ecaflip's body. "Luckily Anrika was almost unharmed as you protected her with your body. Which I believe to be utterly stupid"  
"After I woke up, we moved you from the hit area and waited for you to wake up as well" the Eniripsa added.   
"And what about Master Joris?" Alys suddenly noticed the lack of presence of the Bontarian master. "What happened to him?"  
"I don't know, I was too occupied with you two to notice anything" Kerubim answered truthfully. "But I wouldn't worry too much. Papa can take care of himself"  
A sudden outburst at the back of the building caught everyone's attention. The red-haired Rogue flew out of the house and bumped a few times from the ground before falling down a few meters further. A swirl of blue entangled in a black-and-white energy shot right after the woman. An agonizing cry escaped her throat as she was attacked from every direction with no chance to escape or defend.   
"What... what's going on?" Anrika asked in a trembling voice. Kerubim simply shook his head, mouth agape and eyes wide open.   
The blue swirl of fury suddenly stopped and Dalila fell limp on the ground. Her eyes were still open but there was no life in them. Her face was frozen in a silent cry, eyes round and sparkling with tears. The small figure stared down at her before slowly turning around and looking right at the trio. The double-coloured eyes, the only thing visible from under the hood, conveyed only pure rage.   
"Master... Joris...?" Alys whispered.  
\---  
They were staring at each other for a couple of seconds as if measuring each other's strength. Then, without a warning, Joris sprang in the direction of his friends. Anrika shrieked and took a step back which resulted in her tripping and falling to the ground. Mere centimetres before his body slammed into hers, a cyan circular portal appeared in front of her face and the blue swirl disappeared, only to reappear behind them and burst into the building. They turned around cautiously and scanned the broken wood, dust falling all over the place.  
"What...?" the young Eniripsa asked, trying to form a question but her voice was stuck in her throat.   
"It's the Dragons" Alys replied in a terrified voice. "They must have taken control"  
"So Master Joris is-?" Anrika didn't want to finish that thought. Her eyes stung as she felt the tears forming. He couldn't be... could he?  
"Don't worry, darling, Papa is strong" Kerubim reassured putting his paw on her shoulder. "He survived all those years. He won't let himself be defeated by mere Dragons"  
"But they are DRAGONS, Mister Crepin!" the blonde Eniripsa argued. "And the most powerful of them all"  
"So what? Papa won't go down so easily" there was a small tremble in his voice when he said it. Anrika wondered who was he trying to convince. Her... or himself?  
"What do we do? Master Joris is strong even without the Dragons" Alys spoke up, her cyan eyes still observed the surrounding for the small ambassador. "We can't hope to defeat him"  
"I wouldn't even think about it" Kerubim nodded as he pondered about their options. "We'll be easily overwhelmed if we try to confront him on the even ground. We have to be smarter"  
"But Master Joris lived for thousands of years! How can we even think about outsmarting him?" Anrika questioned, her whole body trembling in fear. She wasn't used to being in the front lines. She was usually the one waiting at the hideout to treat whatever wounds the guild members came back with.   
"In normal circumstances, it would be impossible" the white-furred Ecaflip confirmed. "But right now, Papa is not in control, so there is a chance the Dragons don't have access to his wisdom"  
"But how do we-" Anrika was cut short when the blue swirl suddenly shot out from the broken building and came straight at them.   
Alys, once again, summoned her zaaps and sent the speeding master few meters away.   
"We'll have to improvise" she decided, summoning her Wakfu. "And hope Atcham comes back with Master Dormu in time"  
She created a zaap and jumped right in, moving closer to the possessed master. Kerubim sighed in defeat before following the woman.  
"I'm too old for this" he mumbled as he ran to join the female Eliatrope in her attempt to stop the raging fury.   
Anrika stayed in place, her wings facing down and hands clenched on her brush. She felt awful with how weak she was. She was not cut out to fight, she didn't have any experience. Eniripsas weren't fighters, they were healers. And even though, she knew her magic was not enough to aid her friends in the battle they were facing. She felt so useless. She knew how to mend a broken bone, heal a sprained ankle and bring relief to the exhausted body. This was what she was comfortable with. Until a few days ago, she wasn't expected to do anything that made her feel wrong.   
But then Dalila kidnapped Master Joris, his friends and family came to his rescue, took her with them away from everything she knew and understood. She felt so lost. She was proud of her skills as an Eniripsa. But never before she found herself not knowing what to do.   
Her amber eyes silently followed the movements of the only people who acted nice towards her ever since she lost her parents. There was Master Joris, the one she admired with all her heart. She remembered laying in her bed and listening to her mother telling the stories of his adventures. She didn't care whether they were real or not. It's his character that captured her heart. Strong and full of pride, always ready to help those who needed it. Always there to protect those who needed protection. He was her idol, everything she wanted to be, no matter how irrealistic it was.   
Her gaze moved to Alys, the female Eliatrope, one of the two in the World of Twelve. She told her, there were many more of them, children waiting for the chance to live their life again. She didn't know much about Eliatropes, only what she managed to learn from Alys for these past few days. Alys was similar to Master Joris, she realized. She, too, cared for those close to her and would do anything to protect them. Anrika could see that in the way the woman in blue was fighting. Although using her full strength, she was careful not to hurt Master Joris. There was something between those two that Anrika couldn't name. Some kind of connection, deep and strong, pulling the two to each other. There was also another feeling she noticed in Alys' cyan eyes. Determination. Another trait she admired in the young woman.   
Finally, Mister Crepin. He felt like a father figure to her. Always by her side, always there to cheer her up, to reassure everything's going to be okay. He was everything she longed for ever since she lost her real father. Caring and supporting. No matter the age, ready to fight for his family. Even if it meant hurting those he cared for. Her trained eyes quickly noticed how fatigued he looked, how his movements were slower and less aimed. But there was a certain skill in them. She wondered if he ever fought before. She has to ask him about it when it's all over. Or if.  
Her whole body trembled at the thought of any of them not surviving this fight. She didn't want them to die. But given how fierce the battle was, she was starting to fear of the worst.   
\---  
Alys jumped out of the way and flinched when Master Joris hit another wall at an enormous speed. She didn't like the situation one bit but couldn't help it. She tried to reason with him, tried to make him snap out of it but the only thing she gained was a powerful punch in the gut which sent her flying few meters in the air before painfully meeting the ground. The only thing she could do at the moment was to defend. Defend and make sure he didn't hurt anyone else.   
Her cyan eyes moved unconsciously to the limp body with the storm of red hair. The emerald eyes were still open and frozen in the last emotion the poor woman felt before she died. Fear.   
Alys shook her head, concentrating back on the matter at hand. So far they didn't have much progress. They somehow managed to dodge some of the attacks but the ones they failed hurt much more than they were supposed to. Alys believed it was the Dragons' doing. Their power added to Master Joris' own was impossible to handle. She was starting to feel tired already, her knees trembling to keep the weight of her body.   
She shot a glance at Anrika. The young Eniripsa was frozen in the spot she and Mister Crepin moved from in an attempt to stop Master Joris from attacking any more innocent people. Well, Dalila wasn't so innocent, she reminded herself but dismissed the thought. She didn't deserve to die nevertheless. Alys believed in peace. Anything could be solved with talking and diplomacy. Using strength was the last resort she rarely reached for.   
A painful yelp made her head snap in the direction of the sound. The white-furred Ecaflip just received another powerful blow which took him several metres away. She summoned another zaap and teleported to his side.   
"Master Crepin, are you alright?" she asked helping him stand up. He winced in pain and looked at her.  
"I've never thought I would have to fight my own father" he replied. "He's much more powerful than I imagined him to be"  
"That must be the Dragons" Alys spoke up her own thoughts. "Their power is added to Master Joris' own"  
"I see" was the answer Kerubim managed to muster. His eyes suddenly widened in horror. "Alys!" he cried.   
Everything seemed to act as in slow motion. She turned her head and noticed the gloved fist right in front of her head. Out of reflex, she clenched her eyes shut and waited for the blow. But it didn't come. Instead, she heard a fist hitting something metallic and a surprised yelp from the white-furred Ecaflip.   
She dared to slowly open her eyes. He was standing over her, his swords out of their sheaths successfully blocking the blow.   
"I'm away for one day and this is what happens?" he asked playfully, his tail wiggling to the sides.   
"Atcham!" both Alys and Kerubim exclaimed. The said Ecaflip smirked at them and with one swift movement pushed the attacker several metres away.   
"Care to explain why Papa is all crazy and attacking everything in sight?" he asked, taking the battle position. His yellow eyes narrowed as he observed his father collect himself from the ground.   
"The Dragons took over" Alys quickly explained and let out a short cry as Master Joris attacked again, only to be pushed back. "We managed to get the Ebony Dofus back, though"  
"Good" Atcham nodded before turning his head to face someone behind Alys' backs. "Hey, old man! Do whatever you have to do, I'll keep him occupied!"  
"Show a little respect" the angered reply came. Alys stared at the elderly man who seemed to appear out of nowhere.   
"Whatever" Atcham smirked and looked back at his father. "Let's have some fun, eh, Papa?" he asked before rushing out.


	17. The Master Huppermage

Few Hours Later, the City of Bonta

It was all quiet in the building. The setting sun moved slowly down the enormous bookshelves filled with the history of the World of Twelve. A lone elderly man sat at one of the many reading tables, his long beard falling to the floor. He was surrounded by scrolls and books, many of them so ancient one would be afraid to even touch them. His wrinkled hands were gently touching the paper. Light traces of magic were coming from his fingers, circling around his arms and reaching his ears.   
A sound of the bell on the city's clocktower pulled him from the text he was currently reading. He quietly counted the number of hits and pondered.  
"Is it that late already?" he asked himself, as his head moved toward the window, the low-positioned sun shining on his face. He hummed and cancelled the reading spell. "Looks like I'm not going to finish today"  
He started to clean up when a silent creak of the library's door sounded in his ears. He didn't turn around though, deciding to finish his cleaning first. Besides, he already knew who it was. The uncertain and little reluctant steps could mean only one person.  
"What is it, Geraint?" he asked, his back still away from the door. The steps stopped abruptly, as if in surprise.   
"How did you know it was me, Master Dormu?" the young Huppermage asked, his voice only confirming the old man's guess.  
The Master laughed silently at the question.   
"You and your sister may be twins, but you are not impossible to distinguish" he answered. There was a huff in response.  
"Of course, we have different..." Geraint replied but silenced at the ending of the sentence.  
"Sex" Master Dormu finished and turned around. He didn't need his eyes to see the red-coloured face of his student. "Oh, for the Great Huppermage's sake, Geraint! Don't be so embarrassed by a mere word"  
The brunette muttered some apology but the old master only shook his head and sighed. He was so pure at times.   
"What is it?" he repeated the question, deciding to spare the young Huppermage more embarrassment. There was a moment of confused silence as if the young man forgot why did he interrupt his master.   
"Ah, there is someone to see you, Master Dormu" he finally said. "Some Ecaflip. He claims it's urgent"  
"Everyone says so," the old man said, waving his hand dismissively. "Let him come back tomorrow"  
"He also claims to have a message from Master Joris" Geraint added, his voice sounding alert.   
Master Huppermage stopped in his tracks. It wasn't uncommon for other masters to send messengers in their place. Master Joris, however, preferred to attend to his matters in person. Never in his life, Master Dormu, or anyone else he knew of, received a message from the Bontarian Master instead of face-to-face meeting.   
"Let him in" he ordered his student. There was a quiet shuffling and the brunette quickly left the room, calling out for Master Joris' messenger.   
Not a moment later, the said Ecaflip entered the dark library, his steps rushed. Master Dormu raised a brow when he noticed who exactly the Ecaflip was.   
"Atcham" he gasped. His ears sensed his breath was sharp and unsteady. He must have been running, he thought, wondering what must have happened.   
"Sorry for late arrival, Master, but the situation is dire" Atcham spoke up, taking out a small slip of paper from his pocket.   
Master Dormu didn't make a move. Instead, he motioned for Geraint to take the paper and read it.  
"The eggs have hatched" the young Huppermage read out loud in a puzzled voice. That was all it said. And yet, Master Dormu felt a cold thrill as he repeated the words in his head.   
"Everything okay, Master Dormu?" Geraint's voice brought him back from his thoughts. He moved quickly toward the door, motioning for the Ecaflip to follow him.  
"We have to hurry" he said, half-running through the hallways. "How long since he...?"  
"It took me 4 hours to get here, and another two from Brakmar to our hiding place" came the reply.   
"And what in the world were you doing in Brakmar?!" the old man shouted angrily, to which the Ecaflip huffed.  
"Not like we had much of a choice, but I don't think we have time to discuss that at the moment" he answered a little too harshly. He was doing his best to follow but the old man was moving at quite the speed, despite him being completely blind.  
"Right, right" the old master nodded. "Six hours, add to that at least one to gather all necessary things and another four to come back..." he murmured as he neared to his office. "Maybe we'll make it in time, but we'll have to hurry... Geraint!" he called out. The young Huppermage let out a startled "eep!" and rushed to his master's side. "Get your sister and go to the City Archives. I need every information you two can find on Julith, the Primordial Dofus, especially the Ivory and Ebony one, and the Stadium Incident" he ordered.  
"The Stadium Incident?" the brunette questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't think I've ever-"  
"You'll know it when you see it" Master Dormu cut in, his hand shooing him away. "Make haste, contact me through the orb as soon as you have everything"  
"The orb?" Geraint was surprised yet again. "I thought it was reserved for emergency communication only"  
"That is why I'm telling you to use it!" the old man huffed in annoyance. "Now go, before I turn you into a Dragonturkey" he warned. The young Huppermage eeped and rushed out, calling out for his sister. Master Dormu shook his head. "Youth these days. Have to know everything"  
"Is it that bad?" Atcham asked as they entered the old master's office.   
"Far worse than anything you could imagine" came the reply and the Ecaflip shivered at the thought. "Now, where did I put this book" the old Huppermage approached his enormous bookshelf and scanned it. His fingers traced over different covers, searching for a specific title. "Ah, yes, there it is" he turned to the Ecaflip and pointed to the one before last shelf before the ceiling. "Get it down for me, please. It's the one with blue and black ornaments"  
Atcham looked puzzled at the old man's directions but obediently put down his swords next to the wall, and in a matter of few jumps managed to climb to the desired position. His eyes scanned the shelf until he found the needed book. He carefully took it out and climbed down. Master Dormu eagerly grabbed for the book, put it on the desk and sat down. Atcham quietly waited as the old man scanned every page, looking for something in particular. His tail moved restlessly but he didn't inquire about the information the Huppermage was looking for. Whatever Papa told him, he seemed to know exactly what to do. He just hoped he'd do it fast.  
\---  
To Atcham's dismay, the sun was already rising up from its night sleep that they finally managed to leave. They moved quickly through the hallways towards the stable. Master Dormu clearly pointed out they don't have enough time to go back on foot, so they were going to use Dragonturkeys to get to the abandoned farmhouse where Alys and the others have hidden. And, for once, Atcham didn't argue. He was carrying a rather heavy bag, filled with scrolls and miscellaneous objects of unknown purpose, all of which Master Dormu claimed to be necessary for the task of taking the Dragon souls out of Joris' body. The fur-less Ecaflip didn't quite understand how a family tree of Judith was going to help them, but he was too anxious for being away from Papa for such a long time to actually try and ask. Not like he would understand all this magic-science gibberish anyway.   
"We'll take Nora and Kettleburn" the old master pointed at the two Dragonturkeys standing at the end of the stable. "They're the fastest we have. We'll get there in no time"   
Atcham nodded and strapped the bag to his Dragonturkey's side. He then nestled himself in the saddle and joined Master Dormu, who was already waiting for him at the entrance.   
"Lead the way then, Atcham" the old Huppermage said. "And let's pray to the Gods we're not too late"   
\---  
The Dragonturkeys truthfully were fast. It took them only half an hour to leave the city behind and now the two were rushing through the Bontarian fields toward the farmhouse.   
"How far is it?" Master Dormu called out as he evened his mount with Atcham's.  
"Only half an hour or so, at this speed" the Ecaflip answered, his gaze focused on the road. It was a long time since he decided not to ask, how the hell the blind man was able to keep up with him while riding the Dragonturkey. He had other worries.  
His tail was moving anxiously, betraying his mood. Something was telling him, they needed to hurry up but they were already rushing at the top speed. If they try to hasten the Dragonturkeys, he wasn't sure they'll manage to keep up. His mount, due to the extra weight of Master Dormu's bag, was already tiring out. And, there also was the case of the Huppermage's blindness. Atcham preferred not to lose him in the Bonta Plains when he was so much needed.   
They were riding in silence for the next quarter when there was a sudden explosion from the front. They stopped abruptly, the Ecaflip's eyes focused on the medium-sized mushroom of smoke.   
"Papa..." Atcham whispered in horror. He squeezed the reins and got his Dragonturkey to move again. Master Dormu moved quickly too, trying to keep up with the Ecaflip's speed.   
The scene they arrived to was nothing they were expecting. Atcham tried his best to describe it to the blind man by his side but it was difficult to grasp. The Rogues were lying haphazardly all over the grass in front of the farmhouse. Some of them were unconscious but some started to wake up and were moaning in pain. The building didn't look far better. Walls were barely standing, broken bits and pieces were thrown around both in and outside the house. There was a small fire burning on one side, the flames slowly eating up the wooden planks.   
Atcham's eyes moved, trying to find Alys, Kerubim, Anrika and Papa, praying they weren't one of the unmoving ones. His gaze stopped at the familiar figure sprawled on the grass, the red locks laying around in chaos. He gulped, as he noticed the blank stare in the woman's eyes and the way her body was massacred. Her mouth was shaped in a silent scream, adding to the terrifying expression.   
"Alys!" his eyes perked up at the familiar voice and he felt his body moving on its own.   
Before he knew it, his swords were out and a familiar blue-and-black figure hit him at the top speed. The blow was powerful and he felt his knees strain not to buckle. He looked up and stared into the dual-coloured pupils, blank but at the same time full of pure rage.  
He must have lost control, he thought and smirked.  
"I'm away for one day and this is what happens?" he asked, his tail wiggling to the side playfully.   
"Atcham!" the surprised calls from both Alys and Kerubim made him grin. He tensed his arms and pushed with all his strength. The small master flew a few meters back before landing on his feet.  
"Care to explain why Papa is all crazy and attacking everything in sight?" he questioned, wondering if his guess was correct. His eyes never left the small figure, waiting for his next move. The Ecaflip changed his stance, taking the battle position.  
"The Dragons took over" Alys quickly explained and let out a short cry as Master Joris attacked again, only to be pushed back. "We managed to get the Ebony Dofus back, though"  
"Good" Atcham nodded before turning his head to face Master Dormu, who just managed to join them. "Hey, old man! Do, what you have to. I'll keep him occupied" he shouted.  
"Show a little respect" the angered reply came.   
"Whatever" Atcham smirked and looked back at his father. "Let's have some fun, eh, Papa?" he asked.


	18. With All Your Might

Atcham's tail waved anxiously as he waited for his opponent's next move. He wasn't someone to take lightly, despite the appearance. The Ecaflip decided in this battle it wouldn't be wise to rush in. The enemy was fast and agile, much more than the fur-less Ecaflip. He felt a chill go down his spine at the prospect of the fight but didn't stand down. Not when everything depended on how long will he last.   
A flash of blue and white stormed in his direction and he quickly stepped back. The flash didn't even stop, just turned around and rushed again. Atcham side-stepped again, evading the attack at the last second. For the next one, he wasn't fast enough but somehow managed to block it with his swords.   
"Getting predictable, Papa" he laughed to mask his uneasiness.   
The fight was far harder than he anticipated. Guess I was just lucky the first few times, he thought as he loosened his muscles and side-stepped just in time for the dual-coloured fury flash by. 

Alys was standing few meters away, staring in awe at the fight before her.   
"Amazing" she whispered. "Atcham's fighting with him on even ground"  
"Nah, just faking it" the white-furred Ecaflip commented. "Look how he's barely evading the attacks. Clearly, there is a difference in strength"  
"We don't need him to win, just hold him long enough," the old man said from behind their backs.   
"Long enough for what?" Kerubim asked turning around to him. "To lose his strength? Most likely Atch will tire out sooner than Papa will"  
"I would even count on tiring out Master Joris" the Huppermage replied, shuffling through his bag and taking out an old-looking scroll. "Hold this for me, will you?" he handed the scroll to the bewildered Ecaflip and turned his attention back to the bag.   
"What exactly is your plan, Master Dormu?" Alys asked coming closer. The elderly Huppermage had almost emptied out his travel bag, several books, scrolls and weird-looking orbs laying on the grass in front of him.  
"To put the dragons back where they belong, of course" he answered with a huff. "That's why Master Joris has summoned me here, is it not?"  
"Yes, but why all of this stuff?" she motioned to the items on the ground.   
"Well," Master Dormu's clouded eyes looked around and he scratched his neck. "Frankly, I've never used this spell and didn't even imagine I'd have to"  
"Are you saying, you have no idea what are you doing?!" Kerubim cried out, his hand squeezing the scroll he was holding.  
"Hey, careful with that! " Master Dormu called when he heard the sound, to which the Ecaflip cautiously loosened the hold on the paper. "And I didn't say anything about having no idea whatsoever. Of course, I know what I'm doing" he huffed in annoyance. "These things are here to help me get it done better and more efficiently"  
"Really? Because from what Papa told me, Judith didn't need any of those to get the Ebony Dragon out" Kerubim pointed out to which he earned an angry glare from the master Huppermage.   
"Well, I'm not Judith, and I never did it," he said, voice tampered with irritation. He harshly took the scroll from the Ecaflip and opened it. A small traces of magic appeared around his fingers and lead to his ears. "So if you could just let me prepare without interference, I would very much appreciate it"  
Kerubim drew his breath as if wanting to say something more.  
"In that case, we'll leave it to you" Alys interrupted before the white-furred Ecaflip could say something he would regret. She gingerly pushed him away from the elderly master. They stopped a few meters further, next to Anrika.  
"Why didn't you let me finish?" Kerubim asked angrily. "I could tell him a thing or two"  
"Master Crepin, don't you think it's not the best time for starting a quarrel with the Huppermage Master?" the female Eliatrope asked, her brows furrowed. "The faster he manages to take out both Ivory and Ebony dragons, the better for Master Joris"  
"But he's never done it! He said it himself" Kerubim pointed a finger to the old man's direction. "And, more importantly, he's blind!!"  
"I... agree with Lady- with Alys" Anrika suddenly spoke up. "And just because he's blind, doesn't mean he can't do anything"   
Alys nodded in agreement and looked down on the Ecaflip. He sighed and nodded too.  
"You're both right," he said massaging his temples. "I guess I'm just tired"  
"We all are, Master Crepin" Alys put her hand on his shoulder and he patted it in appreciation.   
A sudden outburst made them all look toward the source of the sound. Master Joris was standing in front of the damaged farmhouse, the black-and-white hue still encircling his figure. There was a fresh hole in the wall, dust rising up and some moans could be heard from the inside.   
Atcham slowly stood up, using one of his swords as a crane.   
"Haha, got me with this one, Papa" he laughed and spit out a tooth. His skin was cut in few places and he had bruises all over his body. His legs were shaking, barely holding up his weight.   
Anrika gasped and covered her mouth with a hand. She started to move toward the injured Ecaflip but a furred paw grabbed her by the wrist.  
"Not now, darling. You'll only get hurt if you go there" the elderly Ecaflip said. She could feel him trembling too. It must have been taking all his self-restraint to stay in place.   
"Atcham!" Alys cried out, but the fur-less Ecaflip raised his paw, stopping her.   
Tears sparkled in her cyan eyes. She was both angry and terrified. Terrified by the extent of damage and injury Atcham took to make sure Master Dormu gets all the time he needs. Terrified by the power of the two Dragons in one body which was never meant to hurt his family. And she was angry. Angry at the two Dragons who were controlling Master Joris and making him do things he would never even think of doing. Angry at Dalila and Dame, who were the cause of this all mess. And, finally, angry at herself for being so weak, not able to protect her loved ones.   
"Hey, Joris' son!" a voice called out from behind, and all of them looked in the direction. Master Dormu was standing in the glowing circle, his robes gently moving with the magical energy of the spell yet to be unleashed. He was holding both Dofus in his hands, and his face was focused. "Hold him up for me, will you?"  
Atcham laughed, leaning on his sword.   
"Took your sweet time, old man" he called back and straightened up, gathering all his strength. He looked at his father, at the dual-coloured eyes that were blank again, no emotion showing. "Looks like playtime is over, you overgrown lizards" he taunted.   
Master Joris flinched and his brows furrowed angrily. Alys could have sworn she saw a flame in his eyes.  
"Oh, got you all fired up with that last one, didn't I?" Atcham laughed menacingly and threw out his hands. "Come on then, show me what you're made of!"  
He didn't have to wait long. Just a moment after he finished speaking, Master Joris stormed out in his direction. He gained so much speed, he looked like a black-and-white comet, his feet barely even touching the ground. Everyone held their breaths, as the flaming ball of fury hit right where the fur-less Ecaflip was standing just moments ago.   
"Atch!" Kerubim cried as he tried to see through the smoke and dust. 

The Dragons were standing inside the farmhouse, their eyes looking down to the burning place on the floor. There was nothing there. But they were sure they hit him. Was the attack so powerful, their foe had just perished? But there would be some signs, anything. And yet, they were staring at the empty space underneath their feet, a shadow of confusion in their dual-coloured eyes. Suddenly, they felt something moving behind his back. They started to turn but someone grabbed them from behind and successfully managed to immobilize them. They gritted his teeth in irritation. Who dared to stop them? The almighty and powerful Ebony and Ivory Dragons?  
"Missed me" they heard a whisper in their ear, the breath of their captor pushing their hood closer to their head. The Ecaflip! But how?!   
The Dragons started to thrash around, trying to escape the grip but it seemed as if it was a solid metal holding them in place.  
"Oh no, you don't" Atcham growled, as he held the small frame of his father even stronger. "Go for it, old man!" he shouted, and the Dragons tensed.   
"I told you to show some respect!" the elderly man in long robes called back, the magical circle at his feet glowing stronger now.   
The Dragons felt the magical energy and tensed. Their gaze fell on the two similar objects, each held in one of the man's hands. The Dofus, they managed to think as the powerful energy hit them. They cried out in pain. The energy was tearing them apart. They were agonizing, pulled out from their perfect vessel. They roared in anger, a powerful surge of black-and-white energy sending their captor to the opposite wall. They fell to their knees and let out an ear-splitting scream.


	19. How to Tame Your Dragons

Alys was watching in horror, as Master Joris laid on the wooden floor, screaming. And the scream... it wasn't anything she ever heard in her life. Not in the one she remembered, at least. There was something... inhuman in the way it cut through the air and reached deep into her soul. She grabbed for her dress and clenched it over her heart.   
"What are you doing?!" Kerubim cried out, his eyes filled with terror. "You're hurting him!"  
"The Dragons were fused with his body for too long!" Master Dormu shouted back, his hands stretched out, feet planted to the ground and sweat all over his forehead. "It's like trying to split up two pieces glued together! Possible, but very difficult! Let's hope so the 'glue' didn't dry out yet!"  
"And what if it did?" Anrika asked, worry in her voice. There was a silence on Master Dormu's side.  
"Let's just hope it didn't" he repeated, which didn't make the atmosphere any better. And the ear-splitting scream didn't help the situation either.   
Alys gazed back at the small figure, his body thrashing spasmodically on the floor of the house. His abdomen was stretching, something moving inside, just like the time Dalila found them. He was clawing on his body, screaming agonizingly.   
"I can't take it" she heard Anrika say next to her. She looked down and noticed her crunching on the ground, her eyes closed and hands covering her ears. There were tears falling down her cheeks.   
Suddenly, the screams were cut off, as if someone cast the Silencing spell. She looked back up, her eyes widening. The silence was deafening. There was no sound, no movement inside the house. The small figure was lying motionless on the floor.   
"Joris...?" she called out quietly, scared to speak any louder.   
She took one step closer to the house, her eyes stuck on the small body. He wasn't moving. She didn't see any rising of the chest. Horrified, she took another step closer, then another and another. Before she knew it, she was rushing to the unmoving figure on the floor. She fell to her knees by his side, trying to find any sign telling her this wasn't happening. She reached out her hand and stopped just before touching his body, afraid to learn the truth. She heard the others approaching, calling out his name, shaking his small body. She noticed a hand gently touching his neck and backing out, startled.   
Tears clouded her vision. How could it be? She felt as if she was in the transparent cube which wasn't cleaned for a long time. Everything around her was covered in fog, the voices were muffled and she couldn't make herself to look away from his body, lying motionless in front of her. She could barely make out Master Dormu's quiet apology, Atcham's and Mister Crepin's angered shouts, and Anrika weeping next to her. Her mind was blank, she felt like a puppet which strings were suddenly cut off. Motionless and out of control.   
She barely registered someone grabbing her by the shoulders and making her stand up. Her arms moved on her own, thrashing around, trying to get rid of the arms holding her.   
"No, let me go!" she cried out, tears falling from her eyes. She didn't want to go anywhere, not without Joris. He wasn't dead, he was just sleeping, meditating... anything.  
"Alys, calm down" she heard a familiar voice but she didn't stop.   
"There is nothing we can do" another voice called out. She knew this one too. Usually, they brought warmness to her heart but today it was only hurt and despair.   
"No, I have to stay. He needs me. He-" she didn't know what to say. She just wanted to stay by his side. Was it too much to ask?  
Suddenly, at the corner of her vision, she noticed a monochrome hue. It was gentle, barely visible, and getting stronger every second. Surprised, she stopped fighting but whoever was holding her, let her go, too.   
Joris was glowing. The black-and-white light slowly encircled his body. She stared voicelessly as the line moved around the figure, finally connecting to its other end and closing the circle. The glow grew brighter, creating some kind of a protective barrier. And then, Joris started to rise. But it wasn't the I'm-going-to-stand-up-now rise. He was floating, moving upwards in the horizontal position. His cape was moving as if some impalpable wind was flying, circling around his body. He was rising higher and higher, the monochrome glow getting brighter by the second. Suddenly, the light got so bright, she had to cover her eyes. And then, there was only white.  
\---  
Joris was floating in the abyss. His body felt heavy, he could barely move a muscle. He tried to look around but there was only blackness.   
"Grougalorasalar! Dardondakal!" he called out the Dragons but there was no answer.   
His brows furrowed in confusion. Where was he?   
"Grougalorasalar! Dardondakal! Can you hear me?" he called out again.   
For a moment nothing happened but then he heard something. He gathered his strength and moved his body in the direction of the sound. The closer he got, the louder it sounded. A soft murmur at first turned into a whisper and then a quiet voice. Two voices, actually. He strained his sight and noticed two small figures, slowly growing bigger as he neared.   
"Grougalorasalar! Dardondakal!" he shouted and the Dragons turned their heads in his direction.  
"Joris! You're are alive!" they exclaimed in unison, their voices surprised.   
"Of course, I'm alive" he replied, his brow furred again. "What happened, where are we?"  
"The old Huppermage apparently tried to split us up and take us back to our Dofus" Dardondakal explained, his claw scratching his chin and his tail encircling his body.  
"Something went wrong?" Joris questioned as he took another look around. Was it his mind? Why was it so empty then?  
"You could say that" Grougalorasalar nodded thoughtfully. "He didn't take into the account there were both of us here, and we've been inside you for so long, the differences between our souls started to vanish"  
"You mean, our souls started to merge?" a cold sweat appeared on the small master's nape.   
"Yes," the Ivory Dragon confirmed. "So when he tried to split our souls, all of us took the damage"  
"So... I'm dead?" Joris asked, dreading to hear the answer.  
"No, you're not" the Ebony Dragon replied and Joris visibly relaxed. "But you're not alive either"  
"I'm stuck in-between?" the Bontarian master's eyes widened as the realization hit him. The Dragons nodded.   
"We all are" Dardondakal filled in and sighed.   
"So... now what?" Joris turned around again but the surrounding didn't seem to change. The Dragons shrugged.  
"We didn't come up with any plan yet, so..." Grougalorasalar said. Joris scanned both Dragons and huffed in annoyance.  
"So we wait?" he grumbled angrily. His thoughts flew to Alys, Keke, Atcham and Anrika. They must have been worried sick by now.   
"We think" the Ivory Dragon corrected, puffing out a cloud of white smoke. "Have you tried to break free?" Joris questioned, to which both Dragons rolled their eyes.  
"No, we were just sitting here, chatting and waiting for you to find us so we can escape together" the Ebony Dragon answered, voice filled with sarcasm. "Of course, we tried to get out, you moron!"  
"Have you tried to join forces?" he asked again and both Dragons growled.  
"Yes!" they replied angrily. Joris grabbed his chin and wondered. If both Dragons working together couldn't create a way out, then maybe... A thought struck him, and he opened his eyes wide on his own stupidity. It was so obvious.   
"I've got an idea" he exclaimed and both Dragons looked at him expectantly. He scanned them both before speaking out. "We have to work together"  
"No offence, Joris," the Ebony Dragon said, measuring him. "But what can you do, that we couldn't?"  
"We have to work together" he repeated, his mind already designing a perfect plan. "Not separately, but together. As one"  
"You mean... we let you control us?" the Ivory Dragon questioned unsurely.   
"No way! I won't anyone control me!" Grougalorasalar argued and crossed his arms on his chest.   
"I'm not speaking about control" Joris shook his head. "I'm talking about cooperation"  
The Dragons looked at him for a moment, when Dardondakal's eyes flashed with understanding. He smirked and moved closer to the small master's face.  
"So you're finally getting it" he said, a grin spread all over his snout. Joris didn't flinch but only gazed into his eyes, a determination in his own. The Ivory Dragon smirked and moved back. "Fine, I'm in"  
"What? What are you talking about?" the Ebony Dragon asked, his gaze moving from Joris to his brother.   
"Think for a moment, brother" the white-coloured Dragon encouraged. "He doesn't speak of control but cooperation. Rings any bells?"  
There was a moment of silence as the black-coloured Dragon processed what was said. Finally, he gasped and stared at Joris in amazement.  
"This might actually work!" he exclaimed, excitement pouring out.   
The Ivory Dragon nodded and they neared toward Joris, each floating on one of his sides. Their tails moved and circled around his body, connecting all three of them. Joris let out a deep breath and closed his eyes.  
"I, Joris Jurgen, the son of Julith of Brakmar and Jahash Jurgen of Bonta, hereby accept the Ebony Dragon, Grougalorasalar, and the Ivory Dragon, Dardondakal, as equal to myself," he said, the words of the ancient vow feeling natural on his tongue. "I accept them into my body, sharing my knowledge, strength and power. I pledge to use our power only to serve good and never threat the World of Twelve, or any of its inhabitants. Was I to ever break this vow, may my body and soul fell the punishment so great, I would never forget to break the vow again. For Krosmoz!"  
"For Krosmoz!" both Dragons repeated.   
In an instance, Joris felt their powers join, overflow his body. For once, he didn't try to fight it. It wasn't cold and dark, as it usually felt. This energy was warm and welcoming. Bringing hope and a sense of calmness. He opened his eyes, a black and white flame sparkling in either eye. He clenched his fist and felt the energy focus in his hand.   
"Are you ready to leave?" he asked.   
He didn't quite hear their answer, but a warm feeling embracing him was enough for a yes. He looked up at the abyss and moved a step back. He took a deep breath and punched. Where his fist hit, a crackle appeared. Small at first, it began to make its way in all directions. The cracks moved slowly, gaining speed with each second. And then, one of the black fragments creaked... and fell out. Joris looked at the falling piece and smiled. More and more pieces started to fall out, the blackness giving way for the welcoming light. And suddenly, there was no more black. Only white. Joris smiled wildly and moved toward it, the white brightening with every step. He was coming home.


	20. To Make Things Right

Alys noticed the brightness dimming through her closed eyes. She carefully opened them and looked around. They were still in the damaged farmhouse. She noticed a movement and looked in its direction. Joris' body was floating down to the floor, the monochrome hue disappearing. He gently touched the ground and she quickly approached him. Her eyes scanned the figure but it didn't seem as if anything changed. He was still, unmoving, the same as he was before. Tears flashed in her cyan eyes. He was truly gone.  
And just then, when the thought had barely crossed her mind, something happened. The Bontarian Master's chest rose high and, what felt like ages later, slowly fell down. Petrified, Alys stared at the slow rising and falling of her lover's chest. She felt a movement to her right and noticed Anrika flying closer, her trained eyes scanning the body.   
"He's... breathing..." she said quietly, although everybody could see the steady movement of the small master's chest. "But... I don't understand..."  
"It's a miracle..." Master Dormu spoke up in astonishment.   
Joris stirred and blinked his eyes open. Everyone stared silently as he slowly moved his arms to push himself up to the sitting position. His head was dropped down and he was breathing a little harder than before. But he was alive and awake. Like in slow motion, his neck straightened and his eyes, hidden behind the darkness of his hood, stared back at them. There was no black and white this time. Only the warm blue they knew and remembered.   
Alys' eyes sparkled with tears, hand covering her mouth. Before she knew it, she threw herself at him, face hiding in his chest.   
"Joris" she cried, tears wetting his cloak. He smiled gently and his hand found her head. She snuggled close as he drew small circles on her hood, just between her hidden wings. "I thought we lost you. That I lost you"  
"Shh, I know" he whispered, his hand touching her gently. "I'm sorry"  
"Glad to see you're alright, Papa" Atcham came closer, each step slow and calculated.   
Joris scanned him, taking notice of several bruises and cuts on his mane. His eyes saddened at the thought he was the one to injure his son. As if noticing his gaze, Atchan huffed in annoyance.   
"There you go again, worrying for the things that are behind your control," he said, shaking his head and grinning. "I've had it worse, believe me"  
"But what exactly happened, Master Joris?" Anrika asked and he moved his head to look at her. She blushed a little at his gaze and turned her head to the wall. "I mean," she said after clearing her throat. "You were..." she didn't seem to be able to finish the thought.  
"The Dragons told me our souls started to merge and when you tried to split them, all of us took the damage" he explained. Alys tensed in his arms, her hands grabbing for his cloak. He patted her gently before continuing. "We were stuck 'in-between' as they called it. Neither alive nor dead"  
"So how did you managed to get back?" Kerubim inquired, scratching his chin in deep thought.   
"We bonded" Joris replied, his gaze falling at the two Dofus, still held by Master Dormu. "When I was 'in-between', I remembered an ancient vow to bond with the Dragons. It spoke about treating them as equals, working together towards the common goal"  
"Cooperation instead of control" Master Dormu spoke up, nodding his head. "Dragons are prideful species, they can't stand anyone wanting to control them. To convince them to work together with a mortal..."  
"But Papa isn't mortal" Atcham cut in but the old Huppermage shook his head.   
"Maybe I should be clearer. What I meant was dragons are very reluctant when it comes to contact with non-dragons" Master Dormu elaborated. "The Dragon-Eliatrope twins are a separate matter, of course" he added, his head nodding in Alys' direction.   
"So are you and the Dragons...?" Anrika asked, her eyes staring at the small master's chest as if trying to look into his soul. He shook his head.  
"No, they're back safe in their own Dofus. And they will stay there for the time being" he replied and everyone took a breath of relief. He moved his hand to reach for his chin and scratched it in deep thought. The movement made Alys look up to him with a quizzical look. "Although..." he said as if pondering on the thought. "I might need their help in one more matter"  
"But Papa!" Kerubim argued, his fur puffing. "You just woke up. You're still recovering! And you want to let them into your body again, after all that's happened?!"  
"I'm alright, Keke" the small master dismissed him. "And I think I'm quite capable of deciding what I can and cannot do" the look he gave his son made him shrink. He put his arms on Alys' shoulders and gently pushed her away. She got the idea and moved, giving him space to stand up. He approached Master Dormu and reached out his hands. "May I, Master Dormu?" he asked.  
"They're your responsibility, Master Joris" the Huppermage replied, passing him the two Dofus.   
The small master nodded in appreciation and held up the Dragon eggs in front of him. His gaze lingered, taking notice of the energy swirling and circling under the shells. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
"I need your help one more time, my friends" he whispered. The swirls visibly moved, as if answering back. Joris didn't pay them any attention though. He remained silent, listening to the flowing energy. He felt it encircling him, merging with his soul. He opened his mouth and the words he spoke sounded in the air. "Transit umbra, lux permanet"  
There was a moment of silence, and two voices answered in perfect harmony. It wasn't possible to say from which direction they were coming. The sounds were all around them: encircling, dancing and piercing their souls.   
"Lucest lux vestra" the words carried the power and ancient knowledge. Alys caught her breath, astonished. "Sic itur ad astra”  
Joris breathed out and opened his eyes. Blue pupils held dual-coloured flames, white in his right and black in the left eye. When he opened his mouth once again, it wasn't one, not two, but three voices speaking in unison.   
"Non ducor duco!" he said, and the bright light shone from around him. The Dofus glowed and transformed, each taking a form of the Dragon. The creatures tangled their tails, holding Joris gently between them.   
The master of Bonta held up his right hand and the Ivory Dragon flew in the shown direction, encircling the arm. Wherever it flew, the damage was repaired. The broken planks floated, merged and stuck themselves back in place. Burning marks dissolved, furniture floated back to their place. The fire, still eating out part of the wall, faded without a sign. The Ivory Dragon made a full circle around the farmhouse and came back, his tail once again tangling around Joris. The small master rose his left hand now, the Ebony Dragon moving. It didn't stay in the building but flew outside. Despite the walls, they could somehow see the fields and the black-coloured Dragon soaring close to the ground. Wherever he flew, the knocked out and injured Rogues were standing up, their wounds long gone. It approached Dalila and puffed a cloud of black smoke. It encircled her and entered her nostrils and opened mouth. She coughed and shot up, terrified. The Ebony Dragon huffed again, only air escaping his nose this time. She stared in shock at the creature in front of her.  
"Leave" the Dragon said, and Alys noticed Joris mouth moving too. The Rogue screamed, scrambled up and ran away, her men quickly following her suit.   
Satisfied, the Ebony Dragon flew back inside, encircling everyone inside before making his way back to Joris' side. Surprised, Alys noticed their injuries healing as well. Her eyes shot back to the small master still floating mid-air.   
"Semper ad meliora" the three immortals said together. The creatures glowed, turning back to Dofus. Joris slowly floated down, his feet gently touching the floorboards. His head lowered, touching the two Dofus.   
"Thank you, my friends" he whispered. He turned around to face everyone. They stared at him with shock.   
"That was..." Kerubim started but was short on words.   
"Amazing!" Anrika shouted next to him, stars appearing in her eyes. The white-furred Ecaflip jumped up, surprised by the sudden outburst. "I never saw anything like it in my entire life! You and the Dragons seemed to become one, sharing mind and everything. And your power?" she moved her hand to show the surroundings. "You repaired the whole house, treated everyone AND revived Dalila! I could never even dream of possessing such power. Sure, I can treat small injuries and stuff, but this was-" she stopped abruptly, as she heard a small chuckle escape Joris' mouth. Everyone's gazes moved from the bewildered Enripsa to the laughing master.  
"Your fan-of-mine side is truly entertaining, Lady Anrika" the Bontarian master finally said as he managed to calm down. There was a startled yelp from the bespectacled woman and she covered her mouth, cheeks red from embarrassment.   
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, I-" she started to explain when another giggle sounded next to her.   
Alys was trying her best not to laugh but the situation was so hilarious. Anrika stared at her in bewilderment, when both Ecaflips and the old Huppermage also started laughing. The roar of laughter was filling the air, everyone holding their bellies. Even Anrika gave in and joined the fun. When they finally stopped, only short and tired breaths could be heard, Atcham and Kerubim already laying on the floor where they found themselves soon after they started laughing.   
"By Ecaflip, it feels like it's been a long time since I've had such a good laugh" the white-furred Ecaflip wiped a tear from his eye and breathed deeply.  
"That was amusing, Anrika" Alys agreed, her cheeks hurt from laughing for so long. "I didn't know you were a fan of Master Joris"  
"No, I just-" the young Eniripsa tried to explain but Atcham cut in.  
"Oh, hush. We all heard it, so there is no denying" he said, leaning on his sword for support. "Nice job on loosening the atmosphere, anyway"  
Alys giggled once more and took a look around. Her gaze met Joris' and she could see him smile from underneath his hood. She smiled back and looked outside the window, at the blue sky. She took a deep breath and relaxed. Everything was finally over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> translation of Joris and the Dragons' words:  
> Transit umbra, lux permanet - The shadow passes, the light remains.  
> Lucest lux vestra - Let your light shine  
> Sic itur ad astra - Thus you shall go to the stars  
> Non ducor duco - I am not led, I lead  
> Semper ad meliora - Always towards better things


	21. Home

A sun shone, the rays entering through the freshly-wiped windows. The neatly-ordered stacks of various items gave a sense of welcoming. A soft cheerful hum could be heard from the kitchen, a delicious smell wandering through the house.   
An eye socket opened above the doors and its gaze followed the young Eniripsa, bustling among various pots and frying pans.   
"I think the soup is over-boiling," the eye said.   
There was a startled yelp and a crash of broken plates, as the young woman rushed to the cooker. She reached for the cover and cried out in pain as it burned her skin. She rushed to the sink and opened it, the water spraying all over the floor. She yelped in surprise and grabbed for the towel to wipe the water, dragging some more plates to the floor as a result.   
"What's going on?" another voice called out and the startled Eniripsa tried her best to cover the mess.   
In a failed attempt to do so, she slipped on the wet floor and landed face-forward in the puddle of water. Anrika raised her head, drops of water and foam sliding down her cheeks. Her eyes fell on a set of brown shoes in front of her. She moved her gaze higher and noticed a blue cloak and a pair of surprised eyes staring at her from beneath the hood. She yelped again and scrambled to her feet.  
"Ma-Master Joris!" she cried out, trying to dry herself. A wet string of hair stuck to her glasses and water was dripping from her face and clothes. "I didn't know you're here"  
"I've just come back..." he said as his eyes looked over the room. Several pots and frying pans were standing on the cooker and his nose was telling him, whatever was being cooked is going to be ready soon. There were shards of broken plates and a puddle of water on the floor. Anrika was all wet, her clothes and hair covered with foam from the sink. "What happened? I heard a cry"  
"Ah, I was just trying to get the cover from the pot because Luis said it's going to over boil" the Eniripsa explained her hand motioning to the cooker. She did the movement a little too wide and another set of plates flew to the floor. Joris moved quickly and caught them all, putting them a little further from the edge. "Sorry..." the blonde woman mumbled. "Anyway, I forgot the mitten and burned my hand while grabbing the cover. So I wanted to cool it down under the water but I forgot about the plates lying in the sink and when I turned on the tap the water splashed all over the floor. I wanted to wipe it off with the towel but there were more plates lying on it and I crashed those too..." her head dropped in embarrassment, water droplets falling from her locks down on the already wet floor.   
"So that's why you're wet?" the small master raised a brow in question.  
"Ah, no" the Eniripsa shook her hands in denial. "I heard your voice and I didn't want anyone to see the mess I made so I wanted to cover it up but I slipped on the wet floor and fell"  
"I see" Joris replied his hand holding his chin in thoughtfulness. "And what about the soup?"  
"Ah, the soup!" Anrika cried out and rushed to the cooker again. This time, luckily, she remembered about the mitten. She raised the cover and looked down the pot, exhaling in relief. "Thank my grandmother's brush, it's okay" Joris hummed, his eyes moving to the floor and back to the Eniripsa. "But that's weird. Luis said-"  
"I'm afraid Luis pulled your leg on this one," Master Joris said, his eyes locking on the eye socket over the kitchen door. "Isn't that right, Luis?"  
The eye seemed to shrug before answering.  
"She always acts funny when surprised" he replied. Joris took a deep breath and massaged his temples. "I just couldn't resist it"  
"I thought we already discussed scaring Lady Anrika is not an acceptable way of making her feel at home" the small master explained in a tired voice. For the past week that's been a twentieth time the Shushu scared the young Eniripsa for its own amazement.   
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault" Anrika cut in, her eyes apologizing. "I'll clean it up in no time"  
"No need, Lady Anrika" Joris raised his hand to stop her. "You go change your clothes and dry yourself. Luis will be more than happy to clean up the mess he caused"   
The tone of Master Joris' voice made the bespectacled woman shudder. She was happy she wasn't the one at the receiving end.   
"And... what about the dinner?" she asked, eyeing the pots and pans.   
"It's almost ready. I think I can take it from here" the Bontarian master reassured.   
Eniripsa looked over the kitchen and finally nodded in defeat. She floated outside and into the corridor. One of the doors opened and a white-furred Ecaflip peeked into the hallway.   
"What were those sounds from the kitchen?" he asked as he noticed the passing Eniripsa.   
"Luis decided it was a good idea to scare Lady Anrika while she was making a dinner" Master Joris explained, emerging from the kitchen. The sounds of walls creaking and shuffling could be heard from the inside. "He's cleaning it up now"  
"That lousy Shushu!" Kerubim growled in annoyance. "Don't worry, darling. We won't let him bug you" he addressed Anrika to which she smiled slightly.   
"Keke, can you go get Atcham and Alys? The dinner is almost ready" the small master asked, peeking back into the room.   
"Sure thing, Papa" the Ecaflip nodded. "Do you need any help in there?"  
"No, I will manage" the small master replied and disappeared into the room. Kerubim could soon hear running inside and clinging of the plates and cutlery.   
He shrugged and went downstairs. He approached one of many doors and went inside. He scanned the room and noticed two figures by the table in the middle of the room. One was sitting on the chair and the other was leaning over, trying to see what was the other doing. He moved toward them, his curiosity taking over. Coming closer he noticed Atcham was sitting on the chair, a feather in his hand. He was scribbling something and Alys was giving him hints as to what to write more.   
"I would change that part" she pointed to a place on the paper. "It sounds like you're putting the blame for the situation on her"  
"But it was her idea to go there" the fur-less Ecaflip argued but the female Eliatrope shook her head.   
"And you agreed it was safe and even chose the route you should take to get there faster" she reminded and he huffed in annoyance. "It's an endless circle. You want to reconcile and not point fingers"  
"Sorry to interrupt, but the dinner is ready" Kerubim spoke up, startling the pair. Atcham grabbed the paper and folded it, mumbling something about finishing later to the female Eliatrope. "Don't bother hiding it, brother. I know exactly who are you writing to"   
"So what if you do?" Atcham challenged his eyes narrowing.   
"Nothing" the white-furred Ecaflip shrugged. "I could give you some hints, you know? I have a way with ladies"  
"I think I'll pass" his brother waved his paw as he moved toward the door. "I don't want to woo her but reconcile"  
"Suit yourself, little brother" Kerubim replied as he followed him upstairs, Alys walking some steps behind. They entered the living room, the table already set up for five people, Master Joris running in and out the kitchen with dishes and drinks.   
"Where is Anrika?" Alys questioned, not noticing the Eniripsa around. She kind of got used to her living in the bazaar so it was strange not seeing her anywhere near the kitchen.   
"Luis played another joke on her, so she went to change herself before the dinner" the small master replied, setting down a put with steaming tea. He quickly ran around the table and soon all of the cups had a hot drink poured in.   
"I'm here, Master Joris!" Anrika called out, flying into the living room at the top speed. She was adjusting her glasses with one hand and straightening her dress with another. She stopped short noticing the set-up table.  
"Just in time for dinner, darling" Kerubim patted her on the hand and moved to sit down. Others followed his suit and soon everyone was seated on their places. Kerubim was sitting at the top of the table. On his right sat Atcham, followed by Anrika, while Joris and Alys sat on the left side.   
"Let's dig in. I'm so hungry I could eat a whole Dragonturkey all by myself" Atcham exclaimed.   
"I know you love our dear Anrika's cooking but make sure to leave something for us" Kerubim reminded and winked toward the said Eniripsa. Anrika blushed and looked down to her own plate.   
"So..." Atcham spoke up after some time of silence, taking a sip of tea and a bite of chicken. "Heard Luis scared you again"  
"Atch" Master Joris reprimanded, his eyes narrowing.   
"No, it's okay, Master Joris" Anrika shook her head. "It's my fault for being such a scaredy-bow-meow"  
"But it is Luis' fault for taking advantage of that" the white-furred Ecaflip countered sipping on his tea.   
"Can you blame me?" the Shushu's voice called out from the doorframe. They looked up to see his eye staring down at them. "Have you ever saw her scared? Wish I had a mouth and some popcorn"  
"Luis" the master of Bonta spoke up warningly.   
"What? It is quite a view" the Shushu replied. Joris looked at him expectantly and the eye rolled. "Fine, I'm sorry I scared you, fairy. There, happy?"  
"And...?" the small master inquired.   
"Oh, come on! Don't do this to me" Luis argued. "You know I love it"  
"Luis" the tone was no more warning. Anrika felt a shiver go down her spine at the sound of the voice. There were few moments of silence, as Master Joris and the Shushu stared at each other. Finally, the eye closed and let out a tired sigh.  
"Fine, you win. I won't ever scare you" Luis finally said. "Not when the midget is around, at least" he added quietly but clearing a throat from the small master made him realise his mistake. "Alright, alright! No more jokes on the fairy here!"  
"Thank you" Joris nodded his head and raised his cup to his mouth. He sipped some of the drink and looked back at the eye socket. "You may be excused"  
"Whatever" the Shushu mumbled before disappearing. Everyone stared at Master Joris in silence.  
"Sometimes I forget how scary you are, Papa," Atcham said, wiping sweat from his forehead.   
"How did you do that?" Kerubim asked his eyes wide in amazement. "I can never make him do what I want"  
"Thousands of years of experience, Keke" Joris replied with a smirk and sipped more of his tea. Alys chuckled and reached for her cup.   
Anrika looked at each person in the room, before smiling wildly. Kerubim shot her a questioning glance but she shook her head. I'm finally home, she thought as she took a sip of the hot drink.


End file.
